Diana King (born 8 November 1970) is a Jamaican-American singer-songwriter who performs a mixture and fusion of

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

reggae fusion Reggae fusion is a genre of reggae that mixes reggae and/or dancehall with other genres, such as pop, rock, hip hop, R&B, jazz, funk, soul, disco, electronic and latin. Origin Although artists have been mixing reggae with other genres from as ...

and

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...

. They were born to an

Indo-Jamaican Indo-Jamaicans are the descendants of people who came from the Indian subcontinent to Jamaica. Indians form the third largest ethnic group in Jamaica after Africans and Multiracials. History Due to deteriorating socioeconomic of conditions in B ...

mother and an

Afro-Jamaican Afro-Jamaicans are Jamaicans of predominant Sub-Saharan African descent. They represent the largest ethnic group in the country. Most Jamaicans of mixed-race descent self-report as just Jamaican. The ethnogenesis of the Black Jamaican people st ...

father. They are best known for their hit 1995 single "

Shy Guy "Shy Guy" is a song by Jamaican recording artist and songwriter Diana King for the movie soundtrack album '' Bad Boys''. It also appeared on King's debut studio album, ''Tougher Than Love'' (1995). The song was written by King, Kingsley Gardner ...

" and their remake of "

I Say a Little Prayer "I Say a Little Prayer" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, originally peaking at number four on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 pop singles chart in December 1967. On the R&B Singles chart it peaked at number ...

" which was featured on the soundtrack to ''

My Best Friend's Wedding ''My Best Friend's Wedding'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by P.J. Hogan from a screenplay by Ronald Bass. The film stars Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz, and Rupert Everett. The film received generally positive ...

''. As of 1998, King has sold over five million records worldwide. Regarded as one of the most successful Jamaican artists, they have scored multiple

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...

and

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...

entries. King is also a recipient of the "Vanguard Award" at the Out Music Awards.

Career

Born in

Spanish Town Spanish Town ( jam, label=Jamaican Creole, Panish Tong) is the capital and the largest town in the parish of St. Catherine in the historic county of Middlesex, Jamaica. It was the Spanish and British capital of Jamaica from 1534 until 1872. Th ...

, King was a member of the City Heat band, performing on the local hotel circuit before releasing their first solo single, "Change of Heart", in 1991.Jackson, Kevin (2022)
Diana King, crossover queen
, ''

Jamaica Observer ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The publication is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, ''The Gleaner''. Its founding editor i ...

'', 26 February 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022 After making an appearance on

The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

's 1994 song "Respect", from his album ''

Ready to Die ''Ready to Die'' is the debut studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released on September 13, 1994, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. The album features productions by Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky ...

'', they signed a recording contract with

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

. Their first release was a remake of the

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

song "

Stir It Up "Stir It Up" is a song composed by Bob Marley in 1967 and first recorded by the group Bob Marley and the Wailers that year and issued as a single. It was later covered by American singer Johnny Nash on his 1972 album ''I Can See Clearly Now' ...

" (which peaked at no. 53 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart) for the ''

Cool Runnings ''Cool Runnings'' is a 1993 American sports film directed by Jon Turteltaub and starring Leon Robinson, Doug E. Doug, Malik Yoba, and John Candy. It is loosely based on the true story of the Jamaica national bobsleigh team's debut in competition ...

'' soundtrack that same year. King's next single, "

", co-written and produced by

Andy Marvel Andrew "Andy" Marvel (born Andrew Michael Saidenberg, July 2, 1958, New York City) is an American songwriter and record producer based out of New York City. He has written songs for Celine Dion, Diana King, Jessica Simpson and Colleen Fitzpatri ...

was released in 1995. The song, which only took them 10 minutes to write, became a hit, reaching No. 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and being certified gold by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

in the U.S.; the single also hit No. 2 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, as well as reaching No. 1 on the

Eurochart Hot 100 Singles The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by ''Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately f ...

chart, going on to sell nearly five million singles worldwide. "

" was also ranked by the Japanese radio station

J-Wave J-Wave is a commercial radio station based in Tokyo, Japan, broadcasting on 81.3 FM from the Tokyo Skytree to the Tokyo area. J-Wave airs mostly music, covering a wide range of formats. The station is considered the most popular among FM broad ...

as the No. 1 song of 1995. In the UK, it had a place in the top 10 for seven weeks. It served as a single from the soundtrack to the 1995 film, '' Bad Boys'' in addition to being the lead release off their debut album ''

Tougher Than Love ''Tougher Than Love'' is the debut album by Jamaican-American singer-songwriter Diana King. The album peaked at No. 179 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, No. 85 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 3 on the Top Reggae Albums chart. It featur ...

'' which was released on 25 April 1995. The album peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Reggae, No. 85 on R&B, and No. 179 on the Billboard 200 charts. Two follow-up singles "Love Triangle" (No. 85 R&B) and "

Ain't Nobody "Ain't Nobody" is a song by American funk band Rufus (band), Rufus and American singer Chaka Khan. It was released on November 4, 1983, as one of four studio tracks included on their live album, live album, ''Stompin' at the Savoy – Live, Sto ...

" (No. 94 Pop, No. 63 R&B) followed that same year. In 1996, King collaborated with Nahki on the single "I'll Do It". Also in 1996, their version of "

Piece of My Heart "Piece of My Heart" is a romantic soul love song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns, originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. Franklin's single peaked in December 1967 at number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles char ...

" was included on the soundtrack to the film ''

The First Wives Club ''The First Wives Club'' is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Hugh Wilson, based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Olivia Goldsmith. The film stars Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton as three divorcées who seek retribution ...

''. In 1997, King also scored another hit on the Billboard Hot 100 (No. 38) and the

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

(No. 8) with their

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of the song "

" (originally recorded by

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles cha ...

in 1967), which was featured on the soundtrack to the film, ''

''. Their second album ''

Think Like a Girl ''Think Like a Girl'' is the second album by singer-songwriter Diana King. The album debuted and peaked at No. 1 on the Top Reggae Albums chart. It includes the hits "L-L-Lies", "Find My Way Back" and "I Say a Little Prayer#Diana King version, I ...

'' was released on 30 September 1997, and entered the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Top Reggae Albums chart at No. 1. The album spawned two more US singles with "L-L-Lies" and "Find My Way Back" in addition to "Supa-Lova-Bwoy" which was released exclusively in Japan. King was also featured on the 1997 soundtrack to the documentary ''

When We Were Kings ''When We Were Kings'' is a 1996 American documentary film directed by Leon Gast about the "Rumble in the Jungle" heavyweight championship match that was held on October 30, 1974, in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) between world ...

'', where they performed the title track with

Brian McKnight Brian Kelly McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host and multi-instrumentalist. He is most recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range and melisma. McKnight is known for h ...

. In 1998, King joined

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

and

Brownstone Brownstone is a brown Triassic–Jurassic sandstone that was historically a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States and Canada to refer to a townhouse clad in this or any other aesthetically similar material. Type ...

on stage to perform the hit " Treat Her Like a Lady" previously written and recorded by King from ''Tougher Than Love'' at the

Essence Awards ''Essence'' is a monthly lifestyle magazine covering fashion, beauty, entertainment, and culture. First published in 1970, the magazine is written for African-American women. History Edward Lewis, Clarence O. Smith, Cecil Hollingsworth and Jon ...

. That year, they also appeared on ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series w ...

'', ''

The RuPaul Show ''The RuPaul Show'' is an American talk/variety show that premiered on VH1 in 1996. Hosted by the drag performer RuPaul, the show had many famous musical guests and was notable as being one of the first national television programs in the United ...

'', and ''

VIBE ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...

'' to promote ''Think Like a Girl''. They also collaborated with artists such as Toots Hibbert,

Ziggy Marley David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley (born 17 October 1968) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, musician, actor and philanthropist. He is the son of reggae icon Bob Marley and Rita Marley. He led the family band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers until 200 ...

Buju Banton Mark Anthony Myrie (born 15 July 1973),Larkin, Colin (1998) "The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", Virgin Books, professionally known by his stage name Buju Banton, is a Jamaican reggae dancehall musician. He is considered to be one of the most ...

, Ini Kamoze,

Maxi Priest Max Alfred "Maxi" Elliott (born 10 June 1961), known by his stage name Maxi Priest, is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with an R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion. He was one ...

Shaggy Shaggy may refer to: People *Shaggy (musician) (born 1968), Jamaican American reggae rapper and singer * Shaggy 2 Dope, half of the hip hop, horrorcore band Insane Clown Posse * Shaggy Flores (born 1973), Nuyorican poet, writer and African diaspor ...

, Tony Rebel, I-Three, Brian Gold, Handel Tucker, Lowell 'Sly' Dunbar & Mikey Bennett on the charity single "Rise Up" with Jamaica United. In 1999, they toured India doing a five city tour. From

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

, they said: "I never thought I would come back to India." King entered negotiations with

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

Maverick Records Maverick was an American entertainment company founded in 1992 by Madonna, Frederick DeMann, and Veronica "Ronnie" Dashev, and formerly owned and operated by Warner Music Group. It included a record label (Maverick Records), a film production ...

label in 2000. In 2002, King premiered their single, "Summer Breezin'" on

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...

and VH1 video outlets, and it received some

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

radio

airplay Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...

, their third album ''

Respect Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also the process of ...

'' was released on 24 July 2002 in Japan, with plans for other markets such as the US and Europe eventually cancelled. However, it finally received a release in other markets such as the UK on 17 April 2006 and the United States on 28 April 2008. In 2006, they released the single "Spanish Town Blues" for a Taxi Records compilation album with Sly & Robbie. In 2007, King co-wrote and recorded the song "The Light Within" with the German

artist

Gentleman A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the ra ...

, for his album ''

Another Intensity ''Another Intensity'' is the fourth LP released by reggae artist Gentleman. The Far East Band takes part in the achievement of this album. Track listing # "Evolution" - 3:49 # "Tranquility (Acoustic)" - 3:19 # "Lack of Love" (featuring Sizzla ...

''. Additionally, they also collaborated with Sarah and Kid Capri for a single called "Get Me @ This Party". Later that year, they formed their own record label, ThinkLikeAgirl. In 2009, they collaborated with Richie Stephens on a remake of the ballad "The Closer I Get To You" for his album ''Forever''. In 2010, King's record label ThinkLikeAgirL Music Inc. went through a licensing deal with Warner Music Japan with the release of their fourth album, ''Warrior Gurl''. The album was released in Japan on 22 September 2010. It was led by the single "Yu Dun Kno" which was released that same year. They also recorded a track "Bounce" for another Taxi Records compilation album. For the international release of the album, King renamed the album to ''AgirLnaMeKING'' and it was released on their birthday, 8 November 2012. Two more singles "Closer" and "Jeanz N T-Shirt" were released in 2012. In 2016, they announced they’re at work on an all-lesbian record label in addition to a new studio album and an EP. The full-length album will be a reggae release, while their EP will be an EDM (electronic dance music) release.

Personal life

King was previously married to their tour manager Orville Aris, with whom they share a son named Dior, born in 1996. In June 2012, King came out as a lesbian via Facebook, stating: "I answer now, not because it's anyone's business but because it feels right with my soul and I believe by not answering or hiding it all these years somehow makes it appear as if I am ashamed of it or that I believe it is wrong." They have 15 siblings, but due to King coming out, they are now only close to one. King came out to themself in their 20s, but it took a decade for King to be comfortable with it publicly, for any backlash towards their daughter and son. King was honoured for their bravery on 16, December 2012 and was presented with the prestigious "Vanguard Award" at the Out Music Awards in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

. King is the first Jamaican artist to ever publicly come out. In January 2018, King announced that they had

married Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

their long-time girlfriend, Jamaican violinist Mijanne Webster. On September 12, 2018 they announced via Twitter that they identified as non-binary. In 2020, King stated that they used "he/him", "she/her", and "they/them" pronouns, but in 2022, King changed their pronouns to exclusively use "they/them". In August 2021, they announced via Twitter the death of their daughter, Shalamar Diana Wright (1987-2021), who was born when Diana was sixteen. Mijanne also tweeted to commemorate Shalamar and thank her for accepting Mijanne as part of her family. They hold both Jamaican and US citizenships.

Awards and nominations

{, class=wikitable , - ! Year !! Awards !! Work !! Category !! Result !! Ref. , - , rowspan=2, 1995 , rowspan=2, Billboard Music Video Awards , rowspan=2, "

" , Best R&B/Urban Video of the Year , , rowspan=2, , - , Best R&B/Urban Video of the Year - New Artist , , - , 1997 , Online Film & Television Association , "

" , Best Adapted Song , , , - , 2012 , Out Music Awards , Themself , Vanguard Award , ,

Discography

Albums

{, class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" , - !rowspan=2, Year !rowspan=2, Album !colspan=7, Peak chart positions !rowspan=2, Certifications
( sales thresholds) , - style="font-size:smaller;" !width=40, US
!width=40, US
R&B
!width=40, US Reggae
!width=40, US
Heat.
!width=40, AUS
!width=40, JPN
!width=40, UK
, - , 1995 , align=left, ''

'' , 179 , 85 , 3 , 6 , 33 , 5 , 50 , align=left, * JPN: 3× Platinum+Gold , - , 1997 , align=left, ''

'' , — , — , 1 , — , — , 7 , — , align=left, *JPN: Platinum , - , 2002 , align=left, ''

'' , — , — , — , — , — , 30 , — , , - , 2010 , align=left, ''Warrior Gurl'' (Japan) , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , , - , 2011 , align=left, ''AgirLnaMeKING'' , — , — , — , — , — , — , — ,

Live/compilation albums

{, class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" , - !rowspan=2, Year !rowspan=2, Album !colspan=1, Peak chart positions , - style="font-size:smaller;" !width=40, JPN
, - , 1996 , align=left, ''Tougher and Live'' (Japan) , — , - , 1998 , align=left, ''Remix Kingdom'' (Japan) , 24 , - , 2002 , align=left, ''The Best of Diana King'' (Japan) , 78 , - , 2005 , align=left, ''Essentials: I Say a Little Prayer'' (Japan) , —

Singles

{, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" , - !rowspan=2, Year !rowspan=2, Title !colspan=10, Peak chart positions !rowspan=2, Album , - !width="35", US
!width="35",

US R&B The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

!width="35", UK
!width="35", NED
!width="35",

FRA A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ol ...

!width="35", GER
!width="35",

SWI SWI may refer to: Places: * Switzerland (this is not the ISO 3166-1 code, which is CHE) * Swindon railway station (National Rail code SWI), serving Swindon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom In science and technology: * SWI-Prolog, a free implementatio ...

!width="35", SWE
!width="35", AUS
Australian (ARIA) chart peaks: *Top 50 peaks: *Top 100 peaks to December 2010: *"Love Triangle": N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak reached. *"L-L-Lies": !width="35", NZ
, - , 1994 , align=left, "

" , — , 53 , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , 24 , align="left" , ''

Soundtrack'' , - , rowspan="3", 1995 , align=left, "

" , 13 , 21 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 5 , 1 , 3 , 3 , align="left" rowspan="3", ''Tougher Than Love'' , - , align=left, "Love Triangle" , — , 85 , — , — , — , — , — , — , 73 , 21 , - , align=left, "

" , 94 , 63 , 13 , 27 , 41 , 62 , 31 , 30 , — , 28 , - , 1996 , align=left, "I'll Do It" (with Nahki) , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , , - , rowspan="3", 1997 , align=left, "When We Were Kings" (with

) , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , align="left" , ''

Soundtrack'' , - , align=left, "

" , 38 , 68 , 17 , — , 34 , 73 , — , — , 6 , 21 , align="left" rowspan="4", ''Think Like a Girl'' , - , align=left, "L-L-Lies" , 71 , 67 , — , — , 35 , — , — , 47 , 173 , 29 , - , rowspan="3", 1998 , align=left, "Find My Way Back" , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , - , align=left, "Supa-Lova-Bwoy" (Japan) , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , - , align=left, "Rise Up" (as part of Jamaica United) , — , — , 54 , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , , - , 2002 , align=left, "Summer Breezin'" , — , — , — , — , 85 , — , — , 45 , 98 , — , align="left" , ''Respect'' , - , 2006 , align=left, "Spanish Town Blues" , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , , - , 2007 , align=left, "Get Me @ This Party" (with Sarah feat. Kid Kapri) , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , , - , 2011 , align=left, "Yu Dun Know" , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , align="left" rowspan="3", ''Warrior Gurl''
''AgirLnaMeKING'' , - , rowspan="2", 2012 , align=left, "Closer" , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , - , align=left, "Jeanz N T-Shirt" , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , — , - , align="center" colspan="20" style="font-size:85%", "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

References

External links

Official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:King, Diana 1970 births Dance musicians Dancehall musicians 20th-century Jamaican women singers Jamaican reggae singers People from Saint Catherine Parish Reggae fusion artists Living people LGBT people from Jamaica LGBT singers from the United States LGBT songwriters American lesbian musicians 21st-century Jamaican women singers Jamaican people of Indian descent 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people Non-binary musicians