Dec. 25: British singer Dido is 39 today.

Dido's "full" name is Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong. Her mother, is a French poet, and her father, William O'Malley Armstrong, an Irish publisher and former managing director of Sidgwick & Jackson.

Her older brother, Rowland Constantine O'Malley Armstrong, is better known as record producer Rollo, part of the British electronica trio Faithless. Despite their long and impressive given names, Since childhood the siblings have been known by the names that made them famous; simply Dido and Rollo.

After she stole a recorder from school at age five, her parents enrolled her at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. By her teens, she had learned to play the piano, recorder and the violin.

She later studied law at Birkbeck, University of London (She never completed the degree), while working as a literary agent. About  this time, she decided instead to take up music full-time.

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In 1995, Dido began recording demo tracks which were put together on a collection entitled Odds & Ends and sent out by Nettwerk management. Nettwerk had signed her after she was brought to their attention by her collaborations with Faithless. Dido co-wrote and provided vocals for album tracks and the UK dance act spearheaded by her brother, Rollo.

The collection was released by Nettwerk in 1995 and featured a mixture of finished productions and demo versions which she later considered for release on her 1999 debut album, No Angel. Odds & Ends brought her to the attention of Arista Records, who signed her in the USA, striking a deal with her brother's record label, Cheeky Records, to co-sign her.

Dido with Eminem

Following the sampling of her single "Thank You" on Eminem's 2000 hit, "Stan,"  Dido shot to worldwide success with No Angel. The album sold more than 21 million copies worldwide,and won several awards; including the MTV Europe Music Award for Best New Act, two NRJ Awards for Best New Act and Best Album, and two BRIT Awards for Best British Female and Best Album.

Her next album, Life for Rent, released in 2003, continued her mainstream success propped up by the popular singles "White Flag" and "Life for Rent."  The album went on to sell around 12 million copies worldwide and saw her receive more accolades; including the Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year for "White Flag,"  two further BRIT and NRJ Awards, as well as a Grammy Award nomination. Her 2008 studio album, Safe Trip Home, also received critical praise.

Dido has been ranked #98 of Billboard 200 Artists Music Chart for the first decade of the 21st century. She has sold over 6 million albums in United States, and 32 million albums worldwide, establishing herself as one of the best-selling artists of her time.

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