Diana DeGarmo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Diana DeGarmo
DeGarmo on the 2015 USO tour
Background information
Birth name	Diana Nicole DeGarmo
Born	(1987-06-16) June 16, 1987 (age 38) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Origin	Snellville, Georgia
Genres	Country, pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, actress
Years active	1996–present
Labels	RCA, Mailboat

Diana Nicole DeGarmo (born June 16, 1987) is an American singer and actress. She became famous in 2004 when she was the runner-up on the third season of American Idol. After the show, she released her first album, Blue Skies.

The next year, Diana started a career in musical theater. She has performed in two Broadway shows and three national tours. She also acted on TV in the show The Young and the Restless. Diana has released two shorter music collections called EPs: Unplugged in Nashville (2009) and Live to Love (2012). She is married to Ace Young, who was also a finalist on American Idol.

Diana's Early Life

Diana DeGarmo was born on June 16, 1987, in Birmingham, Alabama. She grew up mostly in Snellville, Georgia, near Atlanta. Diana started singing and performing when she was very young.

• She sang at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards in 1997.
• She performed in stage shows like Annie and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
• At age ten, she was part of the Cartoon Gang on The Cartoon Network.
• She was a Coca-Cola Kid during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
• In 2002, she was named Miss Georgia's Outstanding Teen.
• She was also a finalist on the TV show America's Most Talented Kid.

Her Journey in Music and Acting

Becoming Famous on American Idol

Diana DeGarmo joined the third season of American Idol in 2004. She was only 16 years old when she competed. She finished in second place, with Fantasia Barrino winning the season.

During her time on American Idol, Diana was in the bottom three contestants three times. However, she was always the first one announced as safe. By week six, she became one of the top singers. After the show, she toured the country with the other top ten contestants in the summer of 2004.

Diana's American Idol Performances

Music After American Idol

Diana DeGarmo on a 2005 USO tour

After American Idol, Diana signed with RCA Records. She released her first single, "Dreams", in June 2004. This song became very popular, reaching number 2 in Canada and number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S.

Her first album, Blue Skies, came out in December 2004. It sold well and included songs by famous writers like Kara DioGuardi. The album's only single, "Emotional", was released to radio in November 2004. Diana also recorded a song called "Reaching for Heaven" for the Disney movie Ice Princess.

In 2007, Diana decided to go back to her country music roots. She moved to Nashville and released a four-song country EP called Unplugged in Nashville in 2009. In 2012, she released another EP, Live to Love, which included the song "Good Goodbye". This song was also used for her character on The Young and the Restless.

Diana's second album, Gemini, was released in August 2019. She even streamed a live concert of Gemini in 2020, which won an award.

Performing in Musical Theater

Diana DeGarmo started her musical theater career in November 2005. She played Maria in a production of West Side Story. Soon after, she made her Broadway debut in Hairspray as Penny Pingleton. She also played the main role of Brooklyn in the 2006 national tour of Brooklyn: The Musical.

• In April 2007, she sang at Carnegie Hall in a tribute to Neil Sedaka.
• In 2009, she starred in Back to Bacharach and David, a musical revue.
• She also played the narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in Oklahoma.
• In August 2009, she joined the off-Broadway musical The Toxic Avenger as Sarah.
• Diana returned to Broadway in Hair in March 2010. This is where she met her future husband, Ace Young.
• She played Doralee Rhodes in the national tour of 9 to 5 starting in September 2010.
• In August 2011, she played Penny Pingleton again in a special production of Hairspray at the Hollywood Bowl.
• From 2014 to 2015, Diana was The Narrator in the national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
• In 2015, she played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz in Nashville.
• From 2016 to 2017, she played Lucy in the world tour of Jekyll & Hyde.
• More recently, in 2023, she played the Witch in Into the Woods. In 2024, she was Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors.

Acting in Film and Television

Diana DeGarmo joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in October 2011. She played Angelina Veneziano, a character who started as a bad singer but grew into a kinder person. Her last episode aired in March 2012.

• In 2012, Diana played Dora Hand, a singer, in the western movie Wyatt Earp's Revenge.
• She made a small appearance as herself in the movie All About Christmas Eve.
• She was also on the TV show Brides of Beverly Hills, which showed her looking for a wedding dress.
• In 2013, Diana and Ace Young hosted an entertainment show called Planet 360.
• Diana starred in the independent comedy film Alto. She played Frankie, a musician who falls in love and gets involved in a mystery. The film was shown at several festivals.
• In 2016, her third film, The Morning Sun, was released.

Helping Others

Diana DeGarmo is an ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. She helps raise money for children and adults with muscle diseases. She also supports many other charities by performing at fundraisers.

Other Activities

Diana was the first American Idol finalist to go on a USO tour. These tours entertain U.S. troops overseas. She has been on four USO tours:

• From December 2005 to January 2006, she entertained troops in Southwest Asia.
• In April 2012, she toured with Ace Young and other performers.
• In February 2013, she toured again with Ace Young and famous athletes.
• In March 2015, Diana toured the Middle East and military bases in Asia with other celebrities.

Diana also appeared in TV ads for the Zaxby's restaurant chain. She also provided the singing voice for Cosmo in an episode of The Fairly OddParents called Fairy Idol.

Diana's Personal Life

Diana DeGarmo is the niece of Eddie DeGarmo, a musician from the band DeGarmo & Key.

Diana married Ace Young on June 1, 2013, in Los Angeles. They live in Nashville, Tennessee.

Music Releases

Albums

Extended Plays (EPs)

Singles

Other Songs

Music Videos

See also

In Spanish: Diana DeGarmo para niños