Meet Rodey Bell Dortly | Musician/Actor & Insurance Adjuster

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rodey Bell Dortly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rodey, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking

Risk taking, I feel is the most essential part in anything and everything needed to be successful. I would not be here in Texas nor in either of my career fields if I didn’t take the chance to bet on myself when leaving my hometown city Gainesville, FL.

Taking risks puts you in the position where it’s you vs you. What have you learned, experienced, and how determined are you to exceed in the positions you landed because of the risks.

When you look back and see the small wins and goals achieved and where it stockpiled into the new success you have achieved it would of all been worth it.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I feel my art is a reflection of me. the ups, the downs, the exciting parts of life but also the sad moments the world went through together in 2021-2022.

My art music wise would-be R&B, Pop, Hip-Hop and can be many other genres with the right production. I’m a singer/songwriter and actor.

What sets me apart is just me being me. I feel everyone is unique in their own way. It’s the people who have experienced life, have the hunger, drive and determination to go after what they want and are unapologetically themselves. Those are the ones that set themselves apart.

I’m excited about my new song July coming out this year.

Like this is the first song where I’ve invested so much money from the traveling, recording in Los Angeles, working with Grammy nominated producers. Music Video meetings and treatments. I’m not signed to a label so it’s me, an ex-marine who has always had a regular job paying for these things. When It comes out though I know it will all have been worth it.

When I first started back in 2013, I moved from home to Pennsylvania. This is where I started getting into acting. There I learned you got to be ready, have determination and enjoy the journey. I started writing music then as well, but I didn’t get serious about it until 2019. Through vocal lesson, life battles and realizing this is what you should be doing. I had songs written but were they ready to be recorded nah, not back then.

I continued acting here and there nothing big though. I then decided it was time to bet on myself. Here you are from Gainesville, FL back home after coming from PA and you know what you want to do in life now. So go get it.

I then moved to Orlando, FL where I had to first see can you maintain your regular job, while hitting the studio, dance classes and auditions. I proved to myself that I could do all these things. So, it was time go for it. Then Covid happened.

The world was changing, so was my career path. I saw the decline of roles and auditions being offered as no one was sure how to proceed. Not until virtual auditions came into being the norm, covid test on set and right before heading to set days prior. Musicians’ tours were all if not 90% cancelled. I did only two shows this year and stopped making music all together as I got my life together as I was at a point where covid had affected me financially.

Was it easy? Absolutely not.

By the end of 2020. I had just finished shooting for David Makes Man and obtained my home state adjuster license. I didn’t know what was next, but I had a decision to make. Here I was taking acting classes to get more promising roles but now had the license I needed that could possibly change my life with work. I went off to book Black Mafia Family Season 1 where I got to work with Tasha Smith. Great director and woman overall. The whole cast was amazing and great to work with.

I then got the call for my first job as an adjuster and I had to look back. What taking my class overnight while at work to obtain this license for. To better myself financially and be able to have the funds needed for me to go pursue my music and acting how I wanted.

So, I stopped everything cold turkey. All acting and music and put the next two years to honing my skills in this new field. Some people will never understand that sometimes to get where you want to be you have to go and do things that you don’t want to do or be at. I look back now and see the many cities I’ve worked in. The insured’s I’ve helped get their houses or possessions back. The job alone pushed my work ethic where even if I thought it was good it became more refined. I took the new skills I’d mastered, along with my new way of thought and applied it to everything going forward.

I finally stepped back into music in 2022 after having a conversation with a friend. I realized just because life and the world shifted due to the pandemic. It didn’t mean I had to sit and wait until I was ready. I was already ready. I just needed to get back into it and move forward.

So I did.

Had some meetings, vetted some producers and ended up connecting with grammy nominated producer Riley Urick – “Survive the Night” for “Breezy” the Album by Chris Brown.

The moment I started moving forward again with my music it brought back the creativity in me that I had forgotten I had locked away for this new career. I had to remember that being an adjuster was not my career and to not lose focus of the reason I got into the industry.

By the end of 2022 with new songs fully done, new connections and a new starting point it was only up from here.

Overcoming challenges are always tough. You have to have some kind of anchor that gets you through it. It can be family, friends, cooking, the gym, dance, music or even a journal. The premise is that you will always need an outlet to get the tears, either happy or sad out. Then you will be able to move forward regardless of the challenges ahead.

The lessons I’ve learned is that you never know the outcome. You can only prepare. and as long as you do that, it will work its way out.

I want the world to know that Rodey Bell Dortly is my name. I identify as a black gay male, and I can’t wait for them to hear me and see my growth next year. Either through their radio, tv screens or movie screens.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

My best friend happens to live here in the Dallas DFW area. I definitely wish I’d taken her to Texas Live in Arlington. I’ve been a couple times and always had a blast. It has a lot of small places in one. Another place would have to be Oak Lawn as the night life for the LGBT definitely rivals if not beats Orlando, FL when it comes to regular weekend and night events.

Now when it comes to eating, I’m a chef so the food has to be great if not you’re taking it back. With that being said. I’d have her or any other friend visiting these places.

Sushi Axiom – Richmond Hills, Location

CRU’ Food & Wine Bar – located in The Shops at Legacy

Dakota’s SteakHouse – Downtown Dallas

The Galleria Mall – Dallas

NorthPark Center – Dallas

The Stockyards of Fort Worth

Interskate Roller Rink – Lewisville

and of course, you can’t go wrong with Legacy West in general in Plano for food shopping and drinks.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

I would like to shout out my mother Shanda Dortly and mentor Police Chief Tony Jones of Gainesville Florida.

Growing up my mom had a daycare, so I was raised around my siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and grandaunts and granduncles. It taught me what family was supposed to be and mean. It showed me from seeing my mom never give up with starting her business when I was 3 if not 4 moving from one house to another as the square footage only got bigger due to more people needing her services. It was the dedication of seeing her taking classes and the long nights of studying while having a day job until eventually she only needed one job. The job that became the one she owned and my extended family working for her. This is one of core root memories that will always keep me going.

As an adult my mom always told me to believe in myself, and as I moved further away, she has always been there in my heart but also on call away if I needed to vent or guidance while self-reflecting. She has seen me through all my downs and all my wins. I love that woman.

My mentor Tony Jones is a man who I look up to. He has seen me at my downs in my journey when it was just starting off and him believing in me from then. The advice I’ve gotten, and the opportunities are just from me being me and I will always hold onto.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rodeybelldortly/