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Comment: This article is about an American television producer, classically trained opera singer and composer. Independent secondary sources include: Detroit Free Press coverage by music critic John Guinn (1990); The Philadelphia Inquirer opera reviews by critics Daniel Webster (1998) and Peter Dobrin (2001); Philadelphia Daily News arts coverage by Tom Di Nardo (1998); and entertainment trade coverage in Deadline Hollywood, The Hollywood Reporter, and Billboard (2012). The subject's classical music career is further documented by the Boston Symphony Orchestra Archives (HENRY database) and the Tanglewood Music Center Yearbook, 2001 (available on Internet Archive). The subject has executive producer and creator credits on nationally broadcast series across MTV, VH1, Bravo, TLC, TV One, and FOX.
D. Renard Young (born March 1, 1979) is an American television producer, showrunner, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of John Doe Media, a Los Angeles-based television production company. Young has served as executive producer and creator on series for MTV, VH1, Bravo, TLC, TV One, and FOX, including Totally T-Boz, Thicker Than Water: The Tankards, and K-Ci & JoJo...Come Clean.[1] Classically trained in voice and composition, Young studied at the Interlochen Arts Academy and the Curtis Institute of Music before transitioning to television production.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Young was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He is the grandson of Joseph F. Young Sr., who served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1975 until his death in 1993,[3] and the nephew of Joseph F. Young Jr., who served in the Michigan House of Representatives (1979–1994) and the Michigan State Senate (1995–2002).[4][5][6]
As a teenager, Young received a scholarship from the Skillman Foundation to attend the Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Michigan, where he studied voice and classical composition.[7]
Young subsequently attended the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied vocal performance (BA, 1995–1999) and opera performance (MFA, 1999–2001), and composition. He studied under voice teacher Marlena Malas.[2][8] While at Curtis, Young performed as a baritone in numerous opera productions, including Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Escamillo in La Tragédie de Carmen, Masetto in Don Giovanni, Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Ottone in L'incoronazione di Poppea, and Golaud in the United States premiere of Impressions de Pelléas.[8] He also performed Bach's Cantata No. 141, Wachet auf, with Itzhak Perlman.[8]
In 1998, Young appeared in the Curtis Opera Theatre's production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, which was reviewed by the Philadelphia Inquirer.[9] That same year, Young won the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia's Young Artists Competition and performed as a featured soloist in the orchestra's "Stars of Tomorrow" concert at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, conducted by Ignat Solzhenitsyn.[10][11][12] In 1999, Young performed songs by African-American composers at the First Baptist Church in Philadelphia alongside fellow Curtis alum Karen Slack.[13] In 2001, Young appeared in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's production of Porgy and Bess at the Academy of Music, a production praised by Philadelphia Inquirer music critic Peter Dobrin.[14]
In the summer of 2001, he sang the role of Ramiro in Ravel's L'Heure espagnole, conducted by Seiji Ozawa with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglewood Music Center.[8][15]
Career
[edit]Early career (2003–2006)
[edit]Young began his entertainment career as an office production assistant on the film Soul Plane (2003).[16] He subsequently transitioned to television as an audience producer on Steve Harvey's Big Time Challenge (The WB, 2003–2004) and The Ellen DeGeneres Show (Warner Bros., 2004–2005).[16]
MTV's Next (2005–2008)
[edit]Young served as producer and later senior producer and writer on MTV's dating game show Next, which aired for six seasons and 288 episodes from 2005 to 2008.
John Doe Media (2008–2016)
[edit]In 2008, Young founded John Doe Media, serving as president and head of development and production.[1] Under the company banner, he created and executive produced multiple series across several networks:
- K-Ci & JoJo...Come Clean (TV One, 2010) — Young and Carl Craig served as executive producers of the docu-series following R&B duo K-Ci & JoJo.
- Love & Hip Hop: New York (VH1, 2011–2012) — Co-Executive Producer.
Additional credits
[edit]Young's additional production credits include Donald J. Trump Presents: The Ultimate Merger (TV One, 2010), Dating Factory (Nuvo, 2006), CD:USA (DirecTV, 2005–2006), and BET's Comicview.[16]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Network / Studio | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Soul Plane | MGM | Office Production Assistant | Film |
| 2003–2004 | Steve Harvey's Big Time Challenge | The WB | Audience Producer | |
| 2004–2005 | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | NBC | Audience Producer | |
| 2005–2008 | Next | MTV | Producer / Sr. Producer / Writer | 288 episodes |
| 2005–2006 | CD:USA | DirecTV | Producer / Writer | |
| 2006 | Dating Factory | Nuvo | Coordinating Producer / Writer | |
| 2008 | G Word | Discovery Channel | Producer | |
| 2008 | Moment of Truth | FOX | Producer | |
| 2009 | Osbournes Reloaded | FOX | Producer | |
| 2010 | Donald J. Trump Presents: The Ultimate Merger | TV One | Executive Producer | |
| 2010 | K-Ci & JoJo...Come Clean | TV One | Executive Producer / Co-Creator | John Doe Media |
| 2011–2012 | Love & Hip Hop: New York | VH1 | Producer | |
| 2013 | Totally T-Boz | TLC | Creator / Executive Producer | John Doe Media |
| 2013–2016 | Thicker Than Water: The Tankards | Bravo | Creator / Executive Producer | John Doe Media, 3 seasons |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "John Doe Media – LinkedIn". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- 1 2 "D Renard – Working Not Working". Working Not Working. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ "Young, Joseph F. Sr. – Legislator Details". Michigan Department of Education, Legislature Archives. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ "Young Jr., Joseph F. Jr. – Legislator Details". Michigan Department of Education, Legislature Archives. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ "Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 31". Michigan Legislature. 2012.
- ↑ "Joseph "Joe" F. Young Jr. Obituary". The Union-Recorder. June 22, 2012. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ Guinn, John (December 12, 1990). "7 students receive Interlochen scholarships". Detroit Free Press. p. 38.
- 1 2 3 4 Tanglewood Music Center Yearbook, 2001. Boston Symphony Orchestra. 2001. pp. 216–246. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- ↑ Webster, Daniel (April 25, 1998). "Balance of voices and instruments kindles Tchaikovsky's 'Eugene Onegin'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 56.
- ↑ Di Nardo, Tom (November 20, 1998). "Sharing the Spotlight". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 85.
- ↑ "Exploring music of past, present". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 13, 1998. p. 89.
- ↑ "Guide to the Lively Arts". Philadelphia Daily News. November 18, 1998. p. 45.
- ↑ "Notes on the Arts". The Philadelphia Inquirer. February 15, 1999. p. 31.
- ↑ Dobrin, Peter (April 27, 2001). "'Porgy and Bess,' with dignity". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 162.
- ↑ "D. Renard Young – Performance History Search". Boston Symphony Orchestra Archives (HENRY). Boston Symphony Orchestra. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- 1 2 3 "D Renard Young – Stage 32". Stage 32. Retrieved 2026-09-25.
- ↑ "TLC Orders 'Totally T-Boz' Series About Former TLC Singer". Deadline Hollywood. October 2012.
- ↑ "TLC's T-Boz Gets Her Own Reality Series". The Hollywood Reporter. October 1, 2012.
- ↑ "TLC's T-Boz Gets Her Own Reality Series". Billboard. 2012.
- ↑ "T-Boz Joins New TLC". Discovery Press. 2012.
Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:American television producers Category:Television producers from Michigan Category:People from Detroit Category:Interlochen Center for the Arts alumni Category:Curtis Institute of Music alumni Category:African-American television producers