Dido (singer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dido
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Dido performing in 2019
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong |
| Born | 25 December 1971 Kensington, London, England |
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| Years active | 1995–present |
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Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong (born on December 25, 1971), known as Dido, is an English singer and songwriter. She became famous around the world with her first album, No Angel (1999). This album included popular songs like "Here with Me" and "Thank You".
No Angel sold over 21 million copies globally. Dido won several awards for it, including two Brit Awards. She also won Best British Album and Best British Female. The MTV Europe Music Award for Best New Act was also hers. A part of her song "Thank You" was used in "Stan", a well-known song with American rapper Eminem.
Her next album, Life for Rent (2003), was also very successful. It featured hit songs such as "White Flag" and "Life for Rent". In 2004, Dido joined other British and Irish artists for Band Aid 20. They sang the charity song "Do They Know It's Christmas?".
Dido's first two albums are among the top-selling albums in UK history. They are also in the top 10 best-selling albums of the 2000s in the UK. Her third album, Safe Trip Home (2008), was liked by critics. However, it did not sell as much as her first two albums. In 2011, Dido sang "If I Rise" with A. R. Rahman. This song was nominated for an Academy Award at the 83rd Academy Awards.
Dido returned to music in 2013 with her fourth album, Girl Who Got Away. It reached the top 5 in the UK. After taking time to raise her son, she performed at the 2013 Reading and Leeds festival. There, she sang with Eminem again. Dido released her fifth album, Still on My Mind, on March 8, 2019. She then went on her first tour in 15 years to support it. In May 2019, Dido received an Ivor Novello Award for her great collection of songs. In 2020, Dido released The Last Summer (Deluxe Edition) with her brother, R Plus.
Contents
Dido's Early Life and Education
Dido was born Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong on Christmas Day in 1971. She was born in Kensington, London. Because she was born on Christmas, she also celebrates an "official birthday" on June 25. Her mother, Clare, is a poet. Her father, William, was an Irish publisher. Her older brother, Rowland, is a record producer known as Rollo. He is part of the music group Faithless.
Even though their birth names were different, Dido and her brother Rollo were known by these names since they were children. Dido sees "Dido" as her real name, not just a stage name. As a child, her birth name was confusing and unusual. She said it was "one of the most irritating things" her parents did. The name Dido comes from a famous queen from ancient stories, Queen of Carthage.
Dido went to several schools in London. At age five, her parents enrolled her at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. By her teenage years, she had learned to play the piano, recorder, and violin. Later, she studied law at Birkbeck, University of London. She also worked as a literary agent. However, she decided to focus on music full-time and did not finish her law degree.
Dido's Music Career
Starting Out: Early Recordings (1995–1996)
In 1995, Dido began making 10 demo songs. These were put together on a collection called Odds & Ends. Her music was noticed by Nettwerk management. They signed her after hearing her work with Faithless, her brother Rollo's dance group. Dido wrote and sang on some Faithless songs.
Odds & Ends helped her get noticed by Peter Edge at Arista Records. He signed her in the US in late 1996. He also made a deal with her brother's record label, Cheeky Records. Some songs from Odds & Ends were later used on her first album, No Angel.
Becoming Famous: No Angel (1998–2002)
In 1998, a music producer chose Dido's song "Thank You" for the movie Sliding Doors. Dido's label, Cheeky Records, was sold in 1999. This delayed her album No Angel in the UK. But it allowed her to promote the album in the US. She even joined Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair tour.
Her first official single, "Here with Me", became popular. This happened when it was used as the theme song for the TV show Roswell. When the song was played fully in the show's finale, it became a big hit. It was also used in the British romantic comedy Love Actually. No Angel was released in 1999, and Dido toured a lot to promote it.
American rapper Eminem helped Dido become even more known in 2000. He used the first part of "Thank You" in his hit song "Stan". Dido also appeared in the music video for "Stan". She played Stan's pregnant girlfriend. She got along well with Eminem and the film crew.
No Angel became the top-selling album worldwide in 2001. It reached number one in the UK Albums Chart many times. It had two top ten hit singles, "Here with Me" and "Thank You". It also had "Hunter" and "All You Want". The album sold over 21 million copies globally. Dido's popular hairstyle at this time was called the "Dido flip".
Continued Success: Life for Rent and Live 8 (2003–2005)
Life for Rent was released in 2003. The hit single "White Flag" came out before it. The album sold over 152,000 copies on its first day in the UK. It sold over 400,000 in the first week. Three more singles from the album were "Life for Rent", "Don't Leave Home", and "Sand in My Shoes". Dido went on a world tour to support the album. A DVD of the tour, Live at Brixton Academy, was released in 2005.
After her world tour, Dido was asked to perform at three Live 8 concerts on July 2, 2005. She sang in London, at the Eden Project, and in Paris. She sang her own songs and duetted with Youssou N'Dour.
In 2005, Dido also sang for her brother's project Dusted. This was on their album Safe from Harm. She sang on several tracks and helped write some songs.
Safe Trip Home and a Break (2006–2008)
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Dido's third album, Safe Trip Home, came out in November 2008. Dido started working on it in October 2005. She produced it herself with Jon Brion. Other artists like Brian Eno and Questlove also helped. The album was recorded in London and Los Angeles.
The first single from the album was "Don't Believe in Love". It was released in October 2008. Another song, "Look No Further", was available online for a short time. This album did not sell as well as her first two. Dido decided not to tour for this album. This was because the songs were about her father's death, and it was hard for her to perform them. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award.
New Music and Greatest Hits (2009–2018)
After Safe Trip Home, Dido began recording new songs for her fourth album. In July 2009, Dido said the new album would have an electronic sound. In September 2010, she released the song "Everything to Lose". It was part of the movie soundtrack for Sex and the City 2.
In January 2011, Dido released "If I Rise" with producer A. R. Rahman. This song was written for the movie 127 Hours. It was nominated for several awards, including an Academy Award. It won the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Song.
Dido's fourth album, Girl Who Got Away, was released in March 2013. "No Freedom" was the main single from the album. The album was recorded in London and California. Many producers worked on it, including her brother Rollo Armstrong. In May 2013, Dido appeared on The Voice UK as an advisor.
In November 2013, Dido released Greatest Hits. This album had her older songs and remixes, plus a new song called "NYC". After this album, Dido was free from her contract with RCA Records. She said she planned to release her music on her own. By late 2013, she was writing songs for her fifth album.
Still on My Mind and Recent Work (2018–Present)
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Dido signed with BMG for her fifth album, released in early 2019. She worked with her brother Rollo Armstrong and other producers. On November 9, 2018, Dido announced the album title, Still on My Mind. It was released on March 8, 2019. It reached number 3 on the UK Albums chart.
The song "Hurricanes" was released as a teaser. The main single, "Give You Up", came out on January 22, 2019. It reached number 1 on the US Dance Club Songs chart. Dido toured to support the album starting in May 2019. This was her first world tour in 15 years.
Dido also worked on her brother Rollo's album The Last Summer, released in October 2019. She sang on several songs. In 2023, Dido appeared on Caroline Polachek's album Desire, I Want to Turn Into You on the song "Fly to You". She also helped write it.
On May 18, 2023, Jason Derulo released "When Love Sucks". This song uses a part of Dido's "Thank You". In December 2023, DJ duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike released "Thank You (Not So Bad)" with Dido. This was a new version of her song "Thank You". It reached number 50 on the UK Singles Chart.
Other Music Projects
Besides her own albums, Dido has written and sung for Faithless. This includes songs like "One Step Too Far". Her brother, Rollo Armstrong, helps write and produce many of Dido's solo songs.
Dido has sung on all six studio albums by Faithless. She also worked with her brother on a CD for a children's book called Safe from Harm. She helped write Britney Spears's hit song "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman". She also co-wrote "Never Ending" on Rihanna's 2016 album Anti. Rihanna's song also used a part of Dido's "Thank You".
Dido has also sung with other artists. She sang "Feels Like Fire" for Carlos Santana's album Shaman in 2002. She also sang a duet with Rufus Wainwright for the Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason movie soundtrack. A part of Dido's song "Do You Have a Little Time" was used in Tupac's song "Don't You Trust Me?".
Dido joined Annie Lennox and 21 other female artists to raise awareness about HIV in Africa. They released the song "Sing" on World Aids Day in 2007.
Dido's Personal Life
After releasing No Angel in 1999, Dido ended her long relationship with entertainment lawyer Bob Page. Dido married author Rohan Gavin in 2010. They have one son named Stanley, who was born in July 2011.
Dido is a big fan of the Premier League football club Arsenal. She has dual British-Irish citizenship because her father was Irish.
Dido's Albums
- No Angel (1999)
- Life for Rent (2003)
- Safe Trip Home (2008)
- Girl Who Got Away (2013)
- Still on My Mind (2019)
Dido's Concert Tours
- No Angel Tour (1999–2001)
- Life for Rent Tour (2004)
- Still on my Mind Tour (2019)
Awards and Nominations for Dido
Images for kids
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Dido in the recording studio, 2008
See also
In Spanish: Dido (cantante) para niños
