Biography
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Born
8 November 1970 (age 53)
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Born In
Spanish Town, Saint Catherine, Jamaica
Diana King (born November 8, 1970 in Spanish Town, Jamaica) is an R&B/Reggae/Fusion/Dance/Pop singer-songwriter. After making an appearance on the Notorious B.I.G.'s 1994 album Ready to Die, they scored a record contract with Sony Music. King's first single "Shy Guy," from the album Tougher Than Love, was hit, reaching #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and being certified gold by the RIAA in the U.S.; the single also hit No.2 in the UK, as well as reaching No.1 on the Euro Hot 100 chart going on to sell nearly 3 million singles worldwide. The song was featured on the soundtrack of the film Bad Boys.
In 1997, their album Think Like a Girl entered Billboard's Top Reggae Albums chart at No.1. They also reached's Hot 100's top 40 with their cover version of the song "I Say a Little Prayer", which was featured in the soundtrack to the film My Best Friend's Wedding. They were also featured on the 1997 soundtrack to the documentary When We Were Kings, where they performed a duet of the same title with Brian McKnight. In 1998 they joined Celine Dion and Brownstone on stage to perform their hit "Treat Her Like A Lady" at the Essence Awards, in which they received a standing ovation. That year they also appeared on Soul Train, The RuPaul Show, and VIBE to promote Think Like a Girl.
By the new millennium, King was in negotiations with Madonna's Maverick label. In 2002 King released their third album Respect, it became a hit overseas, but was never released in the US, despite its first single "Summer Breezin'" receiving BET and VH1 video and radio airplay.
In 2007, they co-wrote and recorded the song "The Light Within" with the German reggae artist Gentleman, for his album Another Intensity. They also had the girl duo Brick & Lace join them on one of their concerts as backup singers. Later that year, they formed their own record label, ThinkLikeAgirl. They also tour Asia annually.
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. This was released in Japan on 22 September 2010. An upgraded version was released digitally in the United States on iTunes and all major online music stores (under the title Agirlnameking) on their birthday, November 8, 2012.
On June 28, 2012, Diana King declared "Yes I am a Lesbian" to their fans from their official Facebook page.
They were honored for their bravery on 16 December 2012 and were presented with the prestigious "Vanguard Award" at the Out Music Awards in Las Vegas, NV. King is the first Jamaican artist to ever publicly come out. Jamaica is at the top of the list of the countries who are extremely violent and intolerant toward the LGBT community. Their recent material can be heard on their official website http://www.dianakingdom.com.
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