Diane Schuur Biography

Diane Schuur (born December 10, 1953 in Tacoma, Washington) is a blind jazz singer and pianist. She had her first "gig" at a Holiday Inn at age ten in which she sang country music. She started performing songs she wrote starting at sixteen. Her "big break" came when Stan Getz became positive on her work on hearing her sing Amazing Grace at the 1979 Monterey Jazz Festival. Later, in 1982, Getz asked her to join him at a performance at the White House. In 1984 Nancy Reagan invited her to perform again. She won the Grammy Award in 1986 and 1987. Many consider her 1987 album Diane Schuur and the Count Basie Orchestra to be her best, with her critics indicating she has produced little else of significance.