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, U.S.
Genres	Country, pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, actress
Years active	1996–present
Labels	RCA, Mailboat

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

After American Idol, Diana started acting in musical theater. She has performed in many big shows on Broadway and toured across the country. She also acted on TV, playing Angelina Veneziano on The Young and the Restless. Diana has released more music, including Unplugged in Nashville and Live to Love. She is married to Ace Young, who was also a finalist on American Idol.

Early Life

Diana DeGarmo was born in Birmingham, Alabama. She grew up mostly in Snellville, Georgia. She started singing and performing when she was very young.

When she was ten, she was part of the Cartoon Gang on The Cartoon Network. She also sang at Opryland USA during the Christmas season. In 2002, she was named Miss Georgia Teen. She was also a finalist on the TV show America's Most Talented Kid.

Music Career

American Idol

Diana DeGarmo joined the third season of American Idol in 2004. She was 16 years old at the time. She finished second in the competition, with Fantasia Barrino winning first place.

During the show, she was in the bottom three contestants three times. But each time, she was the first one saved by the votes. This meant she was never in the bottom two. By week six, she became one of the top singers.

After American Idol, she toured around the country with the other top ten contestants in the summer of 2004.

Performances on American Idol

Music After Idol

DeGarmo on a 2005 USO tour

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

Her first album, Blue Skies, came out in December 2004. It sold 47,000 copies in its first week. The album included songs written by famous songwriters. One song from the album, "Emotional," was played on the radio.

In 2005, Diana recorded a song called "Reaching for Heaven" for the Disney movie Ice Princess. This song can be heard during a main ice skating scene in the movie. Later in 2005, Diana and RCA Records decided to go their separate ways. In September 2005, she received the Horizon Award at the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame Awards. This award celebrates new artists who are likely to have long and successful careers.

In 2009, Diana released a four-song country music album called Unplugged in Nashville. She released it herself to online music stores.

In 2012, Diana wrote a song called "Good Goodbye." It was used for her character on The Young and the Restless TV show. This song was released on iTunes and was part of her album Live to Love.

Her second album, Gemini, was released in August 2019. She also performed a live concert of Gemini online in 2020. This concert won the 2020 BroadwayWorld Award for Best Streamed Concert.

Musical Theater Career

Diana DeGarmo started her major stage career in November 2005. She played Maria in a production of West Side Story. After that, she made her Broadway debut in Hairspray in February 2006. She played the role of Penny Pingleton.

She also played the main role of Brooklyn in the 2006 national tour of Brooklyn: The Musical. Diana returned to Hairspray for another time from September 2006 to February 2007. She sang at Carnegie Hall in April 2007 as a tribute to Neil Sedaka.

In 2009, Diana starred in a musical show called Back to Bacharach and David. This show featured songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. In July 2009, she played the narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Diana returned to Broadway in 2010. She starred as Sheila in the musical Hair. This is where she met her future husband, Ace Young. She played Sheila until the show closed in June 2010.

Diana played Doralee Rhodes in the national tour of 9 to 5. This tour started in Nashville in September 2010. She finished her role as Doralee in July 2011.

In August 2011, she played Penny Pingleton again in a special Hairspray production at the Hollywood Bowl.

In 2013, Diana played Sally in the musical "NERDS" in North Carolina. From March 2014 to April 2015, she played The Narrator in the national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

In June 2015, Diana starred as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz in Nashville, Tennessee. She and Ace Young are also set to lead the first national tour of First Date.

From 2016 to 2017, she played Lucy in the world tour of Jekyll & Hyde. In 2023, she played the Witch in a local production of Into the Woods. In 2024, she played Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors.

Film and Television

Diana DeGarmo joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in October 2011. She played Angelina Veneziano, the daughter of a character named Angelo. Her character was a singer who wanted to be with Kevin Fisher. Angelina's character changed over time. By her last episode in March 2012, she had become a kinder person and could sing well.

In movies, Diana played Dora Hand in the 2012 western film Wyatt Earp's Revenge. She also had a small role as herself in the movie All About Christmas Eve. She appeared on the TV show Brides of Beverly Hills to find her wedding dress.

In 2013, Diana starred in a comedy film called Alto. Her character, Frankie, is a musician who falls in love with a mafia boss's daughter. The two women get involved in a mystery while also trying to tell their families about their relationship. The film was shown at several film festivals. Diana was nominated for an award at VisionFest for her acting in Alto.

In 2016, Diana's third film, The Morning Sun, was released.

Other Activities

Charities

Diana DeGarmo is an ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. She helps raise money for children and adults with muscle diseases. She also supports and performs at events for other charities. These include Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids.

USO Tours

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

• From December 2005 to January 2006, she entertained troops in Southwest Asia. Her song "Thank You" was inspired by this trip.
• In April 2012, she toured with Ace Young and other performers and athletes.
• In February 2013, she toured with Ace Young, Peyton Manning, and others.
• In March 2015, Diana toured the Middle East and military bases in Korea, Japan, and Hawaii.

Other Appearances

In 2007 and 2008, Diana appeared in TV ads for the Zaxby's restaurant chain. She also lent her singing voice to Cosmo in The Fairly OddParents episode Fairy Idol.

Personal Life

Diana DeGarmo is the niece of Eddie DeGarmo, who was part of the music group DeGarmo & Key.

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

Discography

Albums

Extended Plays

Singles

Other Recordings

Music Videos

Images for kids

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  DeGarmo on the 2015 USO tour

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  DeGarmo on a 2005 USO tour

See also

In Spanish: Diana DeGarmo para niños