Reggaeology presents: Diana King – The Warrior Girl
In this episode we take a journey through the life, the times, and the music of Diana King, one of Jamaica’s most successful female artists of all times.
By Lloyd Laing
Born on November 8th, 1970, Diana King grew up in Spanish Town, Jamaica, to working-class parents with 15 siblings, where vocal talent was commonplace, and music became her creative outlet.
By the mid-80s, Diana would leave home to seek refuge and musical fortunes in Ocho Rios on the advice of a friend, but it would be a rough few years for the teenage vocalist before she found her place in the City Heat Band, working alongside the likes of Gary Pines, and Norman Webb.
Her addition to the band would be the breakout moment for them both, and her daughter’s Shalamaar birth in 1987 would help reinforce her sense of determination and tenacity to make every opportunity a chance at a better life for the two.
In 1990 she would collaborate with Junior Tucker on the Handel Tucker produced single “Stop To Start”, a track that would introduce her voice to a trans-Atlantic audience, and by the early ’90s, She was an in-demand backup vocalist locally, appearing on notable works for Dennis Brown, Andrew Tosh and Carlene Davis.
A fateful appearance on Tony Rebel’s now-classic album “Vibes Of The Times” in 1993 would have Maxine Stowe knocking her doors with an offer to sign Diana to Columbia Records; she scoffed initially, but Maxine was persistent and proved her namesake by landing King’s solo demo of Bob Marley’s “Stir It Up” on the 1993 Cool Runnings movie soundtrack, a move which led to her 1994 signing with Epic Records subsidiary, Chaos Records.
Maxine would keep Diana under her wing, landing her a feature on Biggie Small’s debut album “Ready To Die” in 1994, with the single “Respect” helping to propel the album to gold status within 90 days of its release.
Now with two international hits firmly under her belt, Diana King would soon sign with the Epic Record’s imprint Work!, and continue her hit-making streak with 1994’s “Shy Guy” landing a slot on the first “Bad Boys” movie soundtrack, and going gold overnight.
The followup single “Aint Nobody” reaped the same reward in short order, setting the pace for her 1995 debut album “Tougher Than Love” outselling Shaggy’s Bombastic that year, and quickly earns a platinum status in Japan, having since been reissued 29 times.
1997’s “Think Like A Girl” studio album would prove her consistency and Hollywood penchants for her songs, with her reprise of Dionne Warwick’s “Say A Little Prayer” landing a feature on the soundtrack of the year’s summer blockbuster hit, “My Best Friend’s Wedding”, starring Julia Roberts.
Along the way, her whirlwind marriage with her tour manager, and then musical muse Orville Aris, would produce a second child, a son named Dior.
By the close of the decade, Diana King would have sealed her status as a certified international pop star with 2 certified multi-platinum albums under her belt, sold-out concerts across the globe, and featured appearances with the likes of Celine Dion, Brownstone, Brian Mcknight, Steel Pulse, Toots Hibbert, Shaggy, and Ziggy Marley just to name a few.
Her growing cult following in Japan by the turn of the century had earned almost every one of her releases in that region a gold certification, but when she signed with Madonna’s Maverick Records in 2002, the album “Respect” would perform well below previous numbers, spawning only one marginal hit, the remixed “Summer Breeze” bonus track featuring Bounty Killer.
Over time the slow-burning album finally gathered enough steam to earn silver sales certification numbers in the US, UK, and Japan by 2008.
However, that same year while on tour, a nagging pinched nerve would lead to a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis and set in motion a series of life-changing events for the now single mom and international superstar.
It was not until 2010, that Diana would reveal new music under her now celebrated ThinkLikeAGirl imprint, a banner that itself represented her renewed sense of independence, self-recovery, and self-consciousness eventually evolved into the innovative music brand that has become a homeground to an impressive roster of talented LGBT creatives and artists.
Her activism in the LGBT space was duly recognized with 2012’s Out Music Vanguard Award and Diana King continues her advocacy to challenge face to face, the social conservatism that forced the beloved superstar from her home as a curious teen.
Her public marriage to celebrated Violinist Mijanne Webster in 2018, was a gamechanger moment in Jamaica’s closeted musical community and has since become a rooted inspiration for creatives within the space who wish to be true to themselves. With a career now spanning over 3 decades, Diana King has duly earned her reputation as one of Jamaica’s best selling female acts of all times, and having amassed an impressive catalogue of 23 singles, 5 multiplatinum Albums, 908 featured appearances, and 148 production credits, her place in the halls of Jamaican music history can never be denied.
For this podcast and more in the audio series please click on the links below
Don Drummond – The Mad Genuis – Reggaeology – The Reggae History Experience
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