Dawn Robinson, a founding member of the legendary 1990s R&B group En Vogue, recently shocked fans by revealing she has been living in her car for the past three years.
The 59-year-old singer shared her story in a March 11, 2025 YouTube video, explaining how she went from being part of one of music’s most successful girl groups to embracing what she calls “car life”.
As one of En Vogue’s original members alongside Cindy Herron, Terry Ellis and Maxine Jones, Robinson helped define the sound of 1990s R&B. The group’s debut album “Born to Sing” (1990) and follow-up “Funky Divas” (1992) produced multiple hits including “Hold On,” “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It),” and “Free Your Mind” – songs that peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the group six Grammy nominations.
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Despite selling over 20 million records worldwide and being named Billboard‘s second most successful female group of the 1990s, Robinson’s current net worth is estimated at just $10,000 according to sources. This stark contrast between past success and present financial situation highlights systemic issues in the music industry.
Robinson first left En Vogue in 1997 due to disputes over earnings and contractual negotiations. She signed with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath label and released a solo album in 2002. She reunited with En Vogue in 2005 but left again. Subsequent ventures like joining the R&B supergroup Lucy Pearl with Raphael Saadiq and Ali Shaheed Muhammad also ended prematurely.
All in all, without the proper infrastructure, financial security proved elusive for Robinson after she went solo.
Financial stability in the music industry is volatile, notes a University of Connecticut study. The study adds that even artists with chart-topping success often struggle to achieve long-term wealth without diversifying their revenue stream.
Robinson’s current living situation began in 2020 when family tensions forced her to leave her parents’ Las Vegas home. A manager offered temporary housing in Los Angeles, but after eight months in a hotel, Robinson found herself unable to secure permanent housing, according to The Guardian.
She started researching “car life” and loved what she was seeing, Robinson explained in her video. Despite initial fears, she described the experience as freeing, saying she felt like she was on a camping trip.
After media reports described her as homeless, Robinson issued a statement clarifying: “I want to make it clear: I am not homeless. I am temporarily choosing car life as part of my journey of healing and self-discovery” . She also warned fans about unauthorized fundraising campaigns using her name.
Robinson views her experience as transformative: “I wouldn’t trade my experiences and what I’ve gone through for the world. I miss my family, I miss everybody that I was connected to. But I needed to do this alone and without everybody’s judgment or opinions and all of that stuff. I needed to do this for me.”
Robinson’s story reflects broader challenges in the music industry. A UT News report found that 61% of working musicians earn insufficient income from music alone, while financial instability contributes significantly to anxiety and depression among artists .
As Afrotech put it: “It’s not just about dropping hits; the real money is in knowing the business, keeping your masters, and making sure you’re not just another pawn in someone else’s chess game”.
Despite her circumstances, Robinson remains hopeful about documenting her journey and potentially inspiring others facing similar challenges.
