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No one, including her music producer brother, paid much attention to Dido when she made her first album. Twelve million copies later, the British singer-songwriter has replaced obscurity with the pressure of proving that she's more than a one-time sensation who owes her success to Eminem sampling her song. And with the release of her new album Life For Rent which follows the same blueprint as Dido's first album: strong, singer-songwriter-era tunes with a touch of electronica that creates a hip sheen - Dido has been getting rave reviews by critics and fans alike, a combo almost as rare as Sting & The Police getting back together. (It's been two decades since that band broke up, but we're still waiting!)
Why is she famous again? Rap and Hip-hop sensation Eminem's song Stan used samples from Dido's Thank You, which made her famous on both sides of the Atlantic. Another one of her songs Here With Me became the theme song for the popular TV show Roswell. She's played the big TV gigs in the US: Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Late Show With David Letterman. She has appeared as an opening act for Sting, and has seen her last album reach the number one position in several countries and sell well over twelve million copies. She's just another example of five years in the making, overnight success.
Born Dido Armstrong on December 25, 1971, in London, England, her unusual name can be attributed to the African warrior queen she was named after. The daughter of a literary agent and a poet (Dido's mother used to write poems as a hobby), she grew up without the luxury of television. But, the young girl still found a form of entertainment in music, as did her brother Rollo, who is presently the lead singer in the popular British trip-hop band, Faithless. Dido kept busy teaching herself how to play the recorder (a kind of flute), which led to her acceptance into the prestigious Guildhall School of Music in London at age 6. But who said she couldn't sing? As her innate talent at playing instruments became even clearer when she moved from the recorder to playing the piano and the violin. Originally only interested in instruments, Dido became fascinated with music after listening to jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald at age 16. Influenced by her brother's eclectic record collection and the sultry Ella, Dido began singing with several bands. Despite the discouragement of her brother, who was not impressed by his sister's voice, Dido did not intend on giving up singing. So she worked in publishing and attended law school by day and sang lead vocals in different London venues by night.
Ironically, he who initially dissuaded her from singing eventually led to the start of her music career. Dido appeared on the debut album of Faithless' Reverence in 1996, which went on to sell 5 million copies. Dido's work with Faithless helped propel her career, and she toured with her brother's group for the next 2 years, giving her even more musical experience. By this point, her brother Rollo knew Dido was talented, as did Arista Records. The record company heard some demos that Dido had recorded of her own songs while on touring hiatus and they invited her to meet with über -producer Clive Davis (the man who discovered Whitney Houston and Bruce Springsteen). The rest, as they say, is history. She sang for Mr. Davis, who provided backup for her, and she was signed to the record company.
You can read the rest of our feature on Dido in the October 2003 issue of The Record Music Magazine available at your local newsagent.
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