Dido
Biography
Dido, full name Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O’Malley Armstrong, is a British singer and songwriter born on 25 December 1971 in London.
She is the sister of Rollo, a member of the band Faithless, with whom she collaborated early on. She contributed to the albums *Reverence* (1995, on *Flowerstand Man* and *Salva Mea*) and *Sunday 8pm* (1998, on *Postcards* and *Hem of his Garment*). In 2001, she featured on Faithless’s album *Outrospective* on the single One Step Too Far.
Her debut solo album, *No Angel* (released 1999 in the US, 2000 in the UK), achieved global success, selling over 15 million copies. Its rise was propelled by the sample of Thank You used in Eminem’s hit Stan. The singles Here With Me and Thank You also contributed to its immense popularity. *No Angel* was the best-selling album of 2001.
Her second album, *Life For Rent* (2003), confirmed her international star status, with sales exceeding 12 million copies. The single White Flag became one of her biggest hits. This album was also the best-selling album of 2003.
These first two albums are among the best-selling albums of all time in the UK, making Dido the only artist to have two entries on that list. At the peak of her popularity, she was the highest-paid artist in the UK.
She won several BRIT Awards, including Best British Female Solo Artist and Best British Album for *No Angel* in 2002, and again Best British Female Solo Artist as well as Best British Single for *White Flag* in 2004.
Her third album, *Safe Trip Home*, was released in 2008, followed by *The Girl Who Got Away* in 2013, which marked a more pronounced exploration of electronic and folk-pop sounds. After a break, she returned in 2019 with the album *Still On My Mind*, which she promoted on her first world tour in fifteen years.
Throughout her career, Dido has collaborated with numerous artists, such as on the track Feels Like Fire for Santana’s album *Shaman*, or for the re-release of the charity single *Do They Know It’s Christmas?* by Band Aid 20 in 2004. She also co-wrote the song I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman for Britney Spears.
She has been married to author Rohan Gavin since 2010.