- Dodd Stocker-Edwards is a 55-year-old fitness enterpreneur, songwriter and producer
- He was adopted together with his brother Stanley Stocker-Williams by Patti Labelle and Armstead Edward after he lost his parents
- Patti Labelle’s son is the owner of Pump Dog Apparel
As we all know, many people follow different paths to fame and popularity and in Dodd Stocker-Edwards’ case, he is a Philadelphia-based fitness entrepreneur and coach. Through his career exploits, he worked at Dam Good Bodies Online and now runs his own fitness outfit known as Pump Dog Fitness Apparel.
Added to his career milestone, Dodd is also famous as a celebrity child of iconic American singer Patti Labelle. She adopted him and his brother, Stanley Edwards after their biological parents passed away.
Dodd Stocker-Edward was Adopted by Patti Labelle and Armstead Edwards After his Parents Died
Dodd Stocker-Edwards was born on March 6, 1973, in the United States. He was adopted by Patti Labelle and her first husband, Armstead Edwards in the early 1980s. There are no details pertaining to his childhood with his biological parents except that they were Patti’s neighbors. Despite the scanty details about his childhood, it seemed he lost his biological mother and father at an early age which led to his adoption.
Aside from his biological brother Stanley, he has three other siblings namely Zuri Edwards, William Holte, and Stacey Holte. Like himself, William and Stacey were also adopted after their mother and Patti Labelle’s sister, Jackie died. Based on this, we can infer that Zuri is the only biological child of the Grammy-winning singer. From what we gathered, they were all treated well by their parents and this made them have a cordial relationship with each other.
Focusing on his education, Edward is said to have attended Germantown High School before heading to the University of North Texas. He later transferred and studied at Ohio University College of Arts and Science where he completed his education. He has skills in graphic design.
Stocker-Williams Began His Career as a Producer And Songwriter…
Considering that he was raised by Patti who is also known as the Godmother of Soul music, Dodd Stocker was exposed to the entertainment industry at an earlier stage of his life. Unsurprisingly, he developed an interest in the art of music at a young age and learned more about it while in school.
Later, he became accustomed to songwriting and production which led to him producing 2 albums, This Christmas(I’d Rather Have Love ) for Teddy Pendergrass( 1998), and A MoJazz Christmas, Vol. 2 (1996)
Dodd also worked with his mother in some of her acclaimed works such as Incredadelphia and Moanin.
…Before Becoming a Fitness Enterpreneur
Despite his successes in production and songwriting, his career took a different direction when he started creating fitness awareness in Philadelphia. He joined groups that were sporty and fitness-inclined and participated in their activities.
Soon after, Dodd began working on achieving his own fitness space and in 1996, Pump Dog Performance Apparel was founded. At the time , he chose the name based on an experience he had with a pitbul Terrier. According to Dodd, he had no idea how to run a successful business when he started. Regardless of this, Dodd soon started getting the attention of brands and other celebrities. Notably, he landed a deal with a Japanese department store that had 25 branches after his first international trade show which was held in Las Vegas.
Moving on, the attention he was getting was also not lost on movie makers. In 1997, he got product placement in Spike Lee’s He Got Game, a movie that featured Denzel Washington and NBA star, Ray Allen. This paved the way for other placements in TV sitcoms. By 1998, his business grew so much that it became the only private label in 6 million retail mailer catalogue.
To give more visibility to the growing fitness outfit, Dodd sponsored two Philadelphia fighters in a Las Vegas match that was broadcast on HBO and Showtime.
Subsequently, he signed a few contracts with notable brands both within and outside the country. At some point, he is said to have got an offer from a Korean manufacturer who wanted to expand the company, however, they did not sign the contract due to the effects of the 911 attack which caused economic and political uncertainties.
The 52-year-old Relaunched the Company in 2021
Years after his first attempt failed, Dodd was able to rebrand and relaunch his business in 2021. Apparently, he took certain steps to avoid another business meltdown. This included undergoing coaching programs that assisted and improved his excellence and standards.
To promote his business, Dodd became a Vlogger, owning a YouTube channel where he posts updates and gives information on sports, fitness, and health benefits of food.
More to his work in the fitness industry, his LinkedIn profile shows that in the years after his business melted and the relaunch, he also garnered experience working as a general manager in Philadelphia Sports Clubs. While there, he oversaw the general marketing and advertising for the business. Per the same source, he also worked as a director of marketing at the Global Cure CBD Wellness Centers in Jupiter, Florida.
Subsequently, he moved to DAM Good Bodies online as a chief marketing officer. These fitness stations gave him an avenue to have experience as a manager and owner which he later put into running his company.
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Dodd Stocker-Edward’s Net Worth
The celebrity child has an estimated net worth of over a million which he made from his business engagement and contributions to the musical works of other artists. Over the years, he has worked tirelessly to get to where he is and despite the failed attempt of his luxury boutique fitness apparel, he showed resilience and relaunched.
Aside from what he makes from his entrepreneurial mindset, Dodd is also an heir to Patti Labelle’s $60 million fortune which she made from her successful music and acting career.
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