Rochara Knight and The Honey Doves

Known as Columbia’s own Rochara Knight is a powerhouse vocalist that lights up the stage, be it with the MO Symphony, Jane Doe Revue, the Last Waltz, the Quorus: Columbia’s LGBTQA-Z Community Choir, or at local theaters such as Talking Horse Productions. Her soulful voice soars effortlessly into her knock out soprano range and dives deep into her colorful and smoky contralto sound. Her voice finds no unchartered territory, easily navigating from classical to soul to jazz to pop.

In 2019, Rochara teamed with veteran musicians Audra Sergel, Nancy Dietz, and Kelli Neale to form a new collective: “Rochara Knight and the Honey Doves,” an eclectic neo-soul originals band. RKHD’s debut at the Blind Boone Piano Concert Series in late January of 2020 was met with standing ovations and invitations to perform elsewhere, but the global pandemic had other plans. Not to be thwarted, Rochara and group forged ahead, rehearsing and writing online, through google docs, emails, and zoom. The 2022 collective looks even brighter, after adding guitarist Caleb Alexander and vocalists Enola White and ShaMarea Houston to the cadre, and recording their first live EP at a “second debut” concert at Unity of Columbia in November of 2021.

You can hear What A Man and the groups original The Queen at these links.

Over the summer of 2023 the group recorded their self titled debut record Rochara Knight and The Honey Doves with the above line up. The group released the record October 2023.

The next two years were spent playing gigs promoting the band and the record, but also writing new material, and adjusting to a new line up. In spring of 2026 Audra and Nancy chose to leave the collective. They both needed time to open up space for their thriving musical lives. John Marino joined RKHD during this transition on bass.

The current line up is: Rochara Knight, lead vocals; Enola White, vocals and woodwinds; Caleb Alexander, guitar; John Marino, bass; Kelli Neale, drums.