Diana Jean Krall, a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, has achieved remarkable success in the music industry. With over 15 million albums sold worldwide, she has established herself as one of the top jazz artists of the 2000-09 decade, according to Billboard. Krall’s passion for music began at a young age, as she started playing the piano at four and was already performing jazz at local venues by the age of 15. After studying at Berklee College of Music, she embarked on her career in Los Angeles before returning to Canada to release her debut album, ‘Stepping Out’, in 1993. Throughout her career, Krall has released a total of 14 albums, earning three Grammy awards and eight Juno awards. Her exceptional talent has led to nine gold, three platinum, and seven multi-platinum albums. Notably, Krall’s contralto vocals have set her apart in the jazz world, making her the only singer in history to have eight albums debut at the top of the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. In recognition of her contributions to the arts, she was awarded an honorary PhD in Fine Arts from the University of Victoria in 2003.
Quick Facts
- Canadian Celebrities Born In November
- Also Known As: Diana Jean Krall
- Age: 59 Years, 59 Year Old Females
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Elvis Costello (m. 2003)
- Father: Stephen James
- Mother: Adella Krall
- Siblings: Michelle Krall
- Children: Dexter Henry Lorcan MacManus, Frank Harlan James MacManus
- Pianists
- Jazz Singers
- Height: 5’8″ (173 cm), 5’8″ Females
- Education: The Royal Conservatory of Music, Berklee College of Music
Childhood & Early Life
Diana Krall was born on November 16, 1964, in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. She is the daughter of Adella A. and Stephen James “Jim” Krall. Her father was an accountant and her mother was an elementary school teacher. Both of her parents were amateur musicians, with her father playing piano at home and her mother being part of the local church choir. Diana has a sister named Michelle, who previously served in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Diana’s musical training began at the age of four when she started playing the piano. By the age of 15, she was already performing as a jazz musician at a local restaurant. She later attended Berklee College of Music in Boston on a scholarship and then moved to Los Angeles, where she gained a loyal fan following in the local jazz scene. She returned to Canada for the release of her debut album in 1993.
Career
Diana Krall collaborated with John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton to release her debut album, ‘Stepping Out’. This caught the attention of producer Tommy LiPuma, with whom she made her second album ‘Only Trust Your Heart’ in 1995. Her third album, ‘All for You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio’ (1996), received her first Grammy nomination and appeared on the Billboard jazz charts for 70 straight weeks. Her fourth studio album, ‘Love Scenes’ (1997), was certified 2x Platinum by MC and Platinum by RIAA. In 1999, she released her fifth album ‘When I Look in Your Eyes’, which was certified Platinum in both Canada and the US and earned her two Grammys. Diana Krall has continued to release successful albums throughout her career, including ‘The Look of Love’ (2001), ‘The Girl in the Other Room’ (2004), and ‘Quiet Nights’ (2009). She has collaborated with various artists and has received numerous awards and accolades for her work.
Major Works
One of Diana Krall’s major works is her sixth album, ‘The Look of Love’, released in 2001. It topped the Canadian Album Chart, reached #9 on the US Billboard 200, and was certified 7x Platinum by MC. Another significant work is her seventh studio album, ‘The Girl in the Other Room’, released in 2004, which achieved great success in the United Kingdom and Australia.
Awards & Achievements
Diana Krall has received several prestigious awards throughout her career. She has won multiple Grammy Awards, including Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, and Best Jazz Vocal Album. She has also won Juno Awards, Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, National Jazz Awards, National Smooth Jazz Awards, SOCAN Award, and Western Canadian Music Award. In 2004, she was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame and became an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Personal Life
Diana Krall married British musician Elvis Costello on December 6, 2003. They have twin boys named Dexter Henry Lorcan and Frank Harlan James, who were born on December 6, 2006. Diana lost her mother to multiple myeloma in 2002, and she also experienced the passing of her mentors, Ray Brown and Rosemary Clooney, around the same time.
Trivia
In 2008, the city of Nanaimo renamed Nanaimo Harbourfront Plaza to Diana Krall Plaza in her honor.