American songbird performs for cancer charity

Lauren Mayhew performing at SGT Pepper in Long Street.

American artist Lauren Mayhew, known as DJ Lolo, made the most of her time in Cape Town last month when she put on a charity performance for CHOC – Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa.

Having a passion for charity events, especially those involving children, Lauren agreed to lend the foundation a helping hand after they reached out to her.

She gave all proceeds from a performance at SGT Pepper Eatery and Bar on Long Street to CHOC.

Lauren is involved in numerous charities back home and said she would like to set up some initiatives when she returns to Cape Town.

Her journey to fame and fortune started at the of age 8, when she starred in an American series called The Reppies.

Lauren then took a break from acting and singing and at the age of 12 was signed to Sony Music to be part of PYT, a girl group composed of Lauren and three of her childhood friends. PYT, which stands for Pretty Young Thing, released their debut album in 2001.

They had two songs in the Billboard top 10 and got the opportunity to tour with artists and groups such as, Britney Spears, NSYNC and Destiny’s Child.

They also performed at the Super Bowl, an annual American football match which draws large audiences.

The band even got to perform for Michael Jackson’s birthday and received a standing ovation from the king of pop himself.

Lauren describes these experiences as phenomenal.

“This was probably one of the coolest things to ever happen in my life as (Michael Jackson) is one of my music idols. To me it is not just about being a great singer but being a great entertainer and that is the artist I aspire to be,”she said.

In 2002 PYT fell apart, however, this was not the end of the road for Lauren as she continued to make strides in the music and acting industry, featuring in television programmes such as CSI: Crime and Investigation and Law and Order.

In 2009, Lauren had a one-month stint working for WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) as a ring announcer.

But her passion for music and performing is what has driven her to never give up. “When you really love what you do, you never really feel like you are working, you enjoy it. Even if I was not doing it for a living, I would do it anyway.”

Lauren writes music for film and television.

She has had songs on NBC’s The Voice; Lifetime’s Dance Moms; MTV’s The Hills; E Network’s Giuliana and Bill; Universal’s Bring It On: In It to Win It; and other shows.

Lauren then decided to start her solo career.

To date she has released five albums and her latest hit, called Renegade, featuring American DJ and producer DJ Kastra, has been on YouTube for just over a week.

Follow Lolomayhew on Instagram and find her on Facebook.