Dido

Dido Artistfacts

  • Dec. 25, 1971
  • Her birth name is Florian Cloud De Bounevialle Armstrong, but her parents called her Dido, after an African warrior queen.
  • Her brother Rollo helped produce her first album and has been a guidepost in her career. She broke into the business singing in Rollo's trip-hop band Faithless.
  • Her debut album, No Angel, was released in the summer of 1999 and landed her a spot that year on the Lilith Fair tour. She was slowly building a fanbase when Eminem used the first verse of her song "Thank You" as the hook for his hit "Stan," released at the end of 2000. This triggered a wave of publicity for Dido that sent sales of the album soaring.
  • Dido went through a rough patch in the mid-'90s when she signed a publishing deal that she thought would wrest control of her music from her. She spent a lot of time alone in her London apartment, depressed, but got to work on songs that later showed up on her debut album.
  • She was signed to Arista Records by Clive Davis, who is known for discovering Whitney Houston, Santana, and many others.
  • She grew up without a TV, which helped her focus on her music.
  • Dido is British but first started performing in America, where she spent about two years playing clubs and other small venues before releasing her debut album, No Angel, in 1999. When the album was released, she kept her focus on America. She got little notice in the UK until "Stan," but when she did, it was huge. The album sold over 3 million copies in the UK, becoming the top-selling debut by a female solo artist in British history.
  • Dido broke up with her fiancé, entertainment lawyer Bob Page, in 2002 after a seven-year relationship. She subsequently married British screenwriter Rohan Gavin in 2010.
  • Before she became a headliner in the US, she opened shows for The Barenaked Ladies and Sting.
  • Dido claims she can't make a proper cup of tea. At one of her concerts in 2003, someone came up on stage carrying a teapot, milk, sugar, and teacups on a tray. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Jamie - Alameda, CA
  • Dido's secret talent is that despite being right-handed, using her left hand she can write backwards perfectly, so one needs to hold it up to the mirror to read it.
  • When Dido gave birth to a boy in 2011 and named him Stanley, fans assumed it was in tribute to her hit tune with Eminem. However, speaking on ITV's Lorraine in February 2019, she insisted her son's name has nothing to do with the song. It was just that she'd loved it from a young age.

    "When I was a teenager, I was with my mate, I remember sitting on a wall, and they were like, 'What are you going to call your kid?' and I was like, 'Stanley,'" she said.

    Dido added: "Bizarrely, when I met my husband that was the name that was his favorite for different reasons."
  • Dido toured extensively from 1999-2005, then took what she calls a "15-year break," during which time she got married and had a child. In 2019, she went back on tour in support of her album Still On My Mind.
  • Dido wrote her 2010 song "If I Rise" with A. R. Rahman and her brother Rollo for the movie 127 Hours. It earned an Oscar nomination, but she skipped the ceremony because she was pregnant with her son Stanley. Florence Welch sang it in her stead.

Comments: 9

  • Michael Giammaria from Oak Park, IllinoisWho owns the rights to White Flag? My friend wants to use the words in a book he's writing about his late wife's struggle with alzheimers.
  • Annabelle from Eugene, OrHow in the world did she get the name Dido from Florian Cloud De Bounevialle?
  • Melissa from Happy Place, Ks9_9 Apparently Will from Mission, TX has his libido where his brain should be. Let me guess, you're, oh, 12?
  • Lexie from St. Louis, MoI love Dido, but I think she ran out of steam on "Life for Rent". Her debut album was far better.
  • Marlow from Perth, Australiadidos the biggest selling female artist in the u.k.
  • Scott Evans from Bradford, FinlandDido is uncredited on 'Stan'
  • Tom from Trowbridge, EnglandShe didn't have a TV because her mother wouldn't allow it. However, Dido revealed on Graham Norton that her father had bought a portable TV, which was secretly kept upstairs away from her mother!
  • Haley from Cleveland, Ohshe was sooo blessed to be reconized by eminem to be in his song stan thank you i love you dido

    hailie-j-12
  • Matthew from New York, NyClive Davis did not "discover" Santana. He did offer Santana a chance to resurect his career years later. But he did not discover Santana.
see more comments

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