Diane Warren facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Diane Warren
Warren in 2022
Background information
Born	(1956-09-07) September 7, 1956 (age 68) Van Nuys, California, U.S.
Genres	Pop R&B soul pop rock middle-of-the-road
Occupation(s)	Songwriter publisher
Years active	1983–present

Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956) is a famous American songwriter. She has written many hit songs for different artists. Diane Warren has won an Academy Honorary Award, a Grammy Award, and an Emmy Award. She also has two Golden Globe Awards and three Billboard Music Awards for Songwriter of the Year.

She became well-known in 1985 for writing "Rhythm of the Night" for the group DeBarge. Later, she joined the record label EMI. She was the first songwriter to have seven hit songs on the Billboard charts at the same time, all sung by different artists. People at EMI called her "the most important songwriter in the world."

Diane Warren has written nine songs that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She also has 33 songs that made it into the top 10. Some of her famous songs include "If I Could Turn Back Time" (Cher, 1989) and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (Aerosmith, 1998). She is part of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In November 2022, she received a special honorary Oscar.

She started her own company called Realsongs. This company owns the rights to her music. Her first album as an artist, Diane Warren: The Cave Sessions Vol. 1, was released in August 2021.

Early Life and Music Journey

Growing Up in Van Nuys

Diane Warren was born in Van Nuys, California. She was the youngest of three daughters. As a child, she sometimes felt like she didn't fit in. Her family's last name was changed from "Wolfberg" to "Warren."

Finding Her Passion for Music

Diane loved listening to music from a young age. She dreamed of having her songs played on the radio. She started writing music when she was 11 years old. By age 14, she became very serious about it. She said that "music saved me."

Her mother wanted her to get a secretarial job. But her father believed in her dream. He bought her a guitar and a special shed for her to practice. He also took her to music auditions. Diane wrote Celine Dion's song "Because You Loved Me" as a thank you to her father.

Education and Focus on Songwriting

Diane went to Los Angeles Pierce College and California State University, Northridge. She graduated in 1978. However, she spent most of her time improving her songwriting skills. She felt her education was less important than her music.

Diane Warren's Amazing Career

First Hits and Big Success

Diane Warren's first big hit was "Solitaire" in 1983. Laura Branigan sang it, and it reached number 7 on the US pop charts.

Her publishing company, Realsongs, was almost called "Warren Piece." In 1998, Realsongs and EMI Music Publishing released a special six-CD set of her music. This set was given to people in the film and TV industry. Her music has been in over sixty films. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2001.

Helping Music Education

In 2000, Diane Warren started an initiative called Music in the Schools. She worked with the ASCAP Foundation and the VH1 Save the Music Foundation. This program gives sheet music and books to schools that receive musical instruments.

Albums and Collaborations

In 2004, Warren released an album of love songs called Diane Warren Presents Love Songs. It included many of her popular hits. She wrote three songs for Carrie Underwood's first album, Some Hearts, in 2005.

In 2009, she helped write the UK's song for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest. The song, "It's My Time," was sung by Jade Ewen. It came in 5th place, which was the best for the UK since 2002.

Diane Warren has been named ASCAP Songwriter of the Year six times. She has also been Billboard's Songwriter of the Year four times.

Chart-Topping Achievements

Diane Warren is the first songwriter in Billboard magazine's history to have seven hits on the singles chart at the same time, all by different artists. She has written nine songs that reached number one in the US. Overall, 33 of her songs have been in the US top ten. She has had even more success on the US Adult Contemporary charts. Sixteen of her songs have reached number one there.

Her first studio album, Diane Warren: The Cave Sessions Vol. 1, came out on August 27, 2021. It featured many different artists. In October 2023, a song she wrote with Taylor Swift in 2013, "Say Don't Go," was released. It reached number 5 on the US Hot 100.

In January 2023, she wrote "Gonna Be You" for the movie 80 for Brady. Famous singers like Dolly Parton and Cyndi Lauper performed it.

Diane Warren's Personal Life

Dedication to Songwriting

Diane Warren has never married. She focuses a lot on her songwriting. She believes that her dedication to her work helps her write unique songs. She prefers to write alone. She feels that working with others means she has to compromise, which she finds difficult.

Overcoming Challenges

Diane has faced challenges like rejections and difficult times. In 1994, her house was damaged by an earthquake. She lost another home in 2025 due to wildfires. She has shared that therapy has helped her with her songwriting. She works very long hours, sometimes 12 to 16 hours a day. She always takes her keyboard with her when she travels.

Her office in Hollywood Hills is a special place. She calls it her "secret world." She records melodies there and chooses her favorite songs. Diane Warren is autistic, and she believes this helps her be a better songwriter.

Legacy and Future Plans

Diane Warren has written nine number-one hits and 33 top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her career has lasted over 40 years. A musical about her life, called Obsessed, The Story of Diane Warren...so far, is being planned. It will be a jukebox musical, meaning it will feature her many famous songs.

Discography (as artist)

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Singles

US Top-Ten Hits Written by Diane Warren

(Top-ten entry date – Song – Artist)

[Bold means the song reached number one.]

• May 14, 1983 – "Solitaire" – Laura Branigan
• Apr 06, 1985 – "Rhythm of the Night" – DeBarge
• Mar 14, 1987 – "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" – Starship
• Oct 03, 1987 – "Who Will You Run To" – Heart
• Feb 27, 1988 – "I Get Weak" – Belinda Carlisle
• Aug 06, 1988 – "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" – Chicago
• Nov 19, 1988 – "Look Away" – Chicago
• Sep 09, 1989 – "If I Could Turn Back Time" – Cher
• Oct 28, 1989 – "When I See You Smile" – Bad English
• Nov 11, 1989 – "Blame It on the Rain" – Milli Vanilli
• Dec 16, 1989 – "Just Like Jesse James" – Cher
• Mar 10, 1990 – "Love Will Lead You Back" – Taylor Dayne
• Apr 21, 1990 – "How Can We Be Lovers" – Michael Bolton
• Jun 23, 1990 – "I'll Be Your Shelter" – Taylor Dayne
• Jul 21, 1990 – "When I'm Back on My Feet Again" – Michael Bolton
• Sep 07, 1991 – "Time, Love and Tenderness" – Michael Bolton
• Nov 09, 1991 – "Set the Night to Music" – Roberta Flack with Maxi Priest
• Jun 06, 1992 – "If You Asked Me To" – Celine Dion
• Dec 26, 1992 – "Saving Forever for You" – Shanice
• Jul 03, 1993 – "I'll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me)" – Exposé
• Jun 04, 1994 – "Don't Turn Around" – Ace of Base
• Mar 16, 1996 – "Because You Loved Me" – Celine Dion
• Nov 02, 1996 – "Un-Break My Heart" – Toni Braxton
• Mar 15, 1997 – "For You I Will" – Monica
• Aug 09, 1997 – "How Do I Live" – LeAnn Rimes
• Nov 08, 1997 – "The One I Gave My Heart To" – Aaliyah
• May 16, 1998 – "The Arms of the One Who Loves You" – Xscape
• Sep 05, 1998 – "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" – Aerosmith
• Dec 12, 1998 – "Have You Ever?" – Brandy
• Oct 16, 1999 – "Music of My Heart" – Gloria Estefan and NSYNC
• Jul 01, 2000 – "I Turn to You" – Christina Aguilera
• Jun 30, 2001 – "There You'll Be" – Faith Hill
• Nov 11, 2023 – "Say Don't Go" – Taylor Swift

See also

In Spanish: Diane Warren para niños

• List of songs written by Diane Warren
• Because You Loved Me: The Songs of Diane Warren
• Nina Sings the Hits of Diane Warren
• When a Woman Loves