Kara DioGuardi

DioGuardi was born in Ossining, New York. Her father is former Republican Congressman and 2010 US Senate candidate Joe DioGuardi; her grandfather was Albanian.{{cite web |title=The DioGuardi Family Story |url=http://www.dioguardi.org/ |access-date=August 12, 2015}}{{cite web |title=Kara DioGuardi |url=http://www.tv.com/kara-dioguardi/person/462042/biography.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505212840/http://www.tv.com/kara-dioguardi/person/462042/biography.html |archive-date=May 5, 2009 |access-date=August 12, 2015 |work=TV.com |publisher=CBS Interactive}} Her mother Carol died in 1997 after a seven-year battle with ovarian cancer.Caramanica, Jon. [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/arts/television/11cara.html "Idols, You'll Have to Pass Through Her"], The New York Times, January 9, 2009. Accessed February 11, 2009.

DioGuardi grew up in the Wilmot Woods section of suburban New Rochelle, New York{{cite web|author=Carlson, Erin|url=http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080829/ENTERTAINMENT/808290303/1164/RSS07|title=Table for four: New Rochelle's Kara DioGuardi joins 'Idol' judges|publisher=Associated Press / lohud.com|date=August 29, 2008}}{{Dead link|date=March 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and attended elementary school at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in Scarsdale, New York. She graduated from The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, New York and earned a degree in political science at Duke University.Kinon, Christina. [http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2008/08/27/2008-08-27_american_idol_judge_kara_dioguardi_stole.html "'American Idol' judge Kara DioGuardi stole show – at 12"], Daily News (New York), August 27, 2008. Accessed February 11, 2009. After graduating from college, she worked for Billboard magazine as an assistant to Timothy White and Howard Lander; later she was an advertising sales representative there.

File:Kara DioGuardi in 2010.jpg

DioGuardi has a songwriting catalog of several hundred songs; over 300 have been released on major labels worldwide and over 150 have appeared on platinum selling albums. She has had 50 international charting singles over the course of her career, and her songs have helped propel more than 66 albums into the top ten of the Billboard 200. Her songs have been featured in major motion pictures, television shows, film soundtracks, and radio spots, as well as in national and international commercial campaigns.

She wrote with Ashlee Simpson for Simpson's first and second albums, in 2003 and 2004. She collaborated with Thalía in 2003 for her self-titled album Thalía. In 2004, DioGuardi co-wrote one-sixth of the tracks off Kelly Clarkson's sophomore album Breakaway including Clarkson's hit "Walk Away". DioGuardi then worked with Australian singer, Ricki-Lee Coulter on her 2005 single, Sunshine from her debut studio album, Ricki-Lee, which was released in October of the same year.

She also worked with Christina Aguilera on her album Back to Basics in 2006, co-writing twelve of the thirteen tracks on disc one of the album, among them being "Ain't No Other Man" and "Back in the Day". In the same year, she collaborated with Jesse McCartney on his album Right Where You Want Me, co-writing four songs called "Anybody", "Invincible", "Running Away", and "Feels Like Sunday".

In 2007, DioGuardi worked with many notable artists, one of whom was Britney Spears. DioGuardi wrote and produced "Ooh Ooh Baby" and co-produced "Heaven on Earth" on Spears' album Blackout. DioGuardi also contributed a majority of the songs on Hilary Duff's fourth studio album, Dignity. Since American Idol Season 8, DioGuardi returned to songwriting and producing, and has worked with number of artists, including Pink's "Sober," Kelly Clarkson's "I Do Not Hook Up," Cobra Starship's "Good Girls Go Bad," Katharine McPhee's "Had It All", Carrie Underwood's "Undo It", and Theory of a Deadman's "Not Meant to Be" among other releases.

Among DioGuardi's projects is the song "Not Meant to Be", which appears on Theory of a Deadman's 2008 album, Scars & Souvenirs.{{cite web|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/THEORY-OF-A-DEADMAN-VIDEO-STARS-KARA-DIOGUARDI-19811.aspx|title=Theory Of A Deadman Video Stars kara DioGuardi|publisher=Road Runner Records|date=February 2, 2009}} She co-wrote the song with lead singer Tyler Connolly, and is also featured as the love interest in the music video which was released on March 10, 2009. The song was her debut in the music video industry.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSs5j11z1qM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/RSs5j11z1qM| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Behind the Scenes of "Not Meant to Be"|publisher=YouTube|date=March 28, 2009}}{{cbignore}}

In 2007, Dioguardi and Eurythmics member Dave Stewart wrote "Taking Chances" for Celine Dion. It was released as the first single from the album Taking Chances in September 2007.

The song was a success around the world reaching the top ten in Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy and Switzerland. It also peaked at number 40 on the UK Singles Chart, while reaching number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.{{cite web|url= http://www.allmusic.com/song/taking-chances-mt0004118473 |title=Taking Chances by Céline Dion - Track Info |publisher=AllMusic}}

In 2009, DioGuardi wrote "If I Can't Have You" for Meat Loaf's 2010 album Hang Cool Teddy Bear and recorded the vocal as a duet with him. She is also one of the writers for "Ghost", which was released as a single from Fefe Dobson's album Joy (2010). She wrote songs for Aussie singer Natalie Imbruglia's third studio album Counting Down the Days. After taking a break from writing, DioGuardi was one of the writers of Kelly Clarkson's "Heartbeat Song" which was the first single from Clarkson's seventh studio album Piece by Piece (2015). DioGuardi also co-wrote "Rebel Hearts" for Hilary Duff's Breathe In Breathe Out album in 2015.

DioGuardi has also written for films and television series. She wrote "Halo" for One Tree Hill, "Brand New Day" for Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, "We Rock" and "Play My Music" for Camp Rock, "He Could Be the One" for Hannah Montana, "Set This Party Off" for Jonas, and "Someone Watching over Me" for Raise Your Voice. She has written songs which have been used as themes including "Taking Chances" on Glee, "Come Clean" on Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, "Autobiography" on The Ashlee Simpson Show, and "Ain't No Other Man" on Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.

DioGuardi co-owns Arthouse Entertainment, a publishing company which is a resource business for record companies and other music entities seeking compositions, productions, artists, and related music services. Arthouse has been a part of many chart-topping hits including B.O.B's "Nothin' On You"; Bruno Mars' "Just The Way You Are" and "Grenade"; Cee-Lo Green's "Forget You", Flo Rida's "Club Can't Handle Me", Demi Lovato's "Heart Attack"; Jason DeRulo's "Want to Want Me" and "Trumpets"; Eminem's "Monster", Zedd's "Beautiful Now", Jon Bellion's "All Time Low", Maroon 5's "Memories", Illenium's "Good Things Fall Apart", Halsey's "Graveyard", Florida Georgia Line's "Simple", and Ingrid Andress' "More Hearts Than Mine."

In July 2006, DioGuardi was a judge in an Idol-like TV show called The One: Making a Music Star. The show debuted on ABC with the second-lowest rating ever for a premiere on a major American network and was abruptly canceled after just two weeks.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/25/AR2006072501591_pf.html|title='One' Miserable Showing: 'Idol' Knockoff Sets a Record|first=John|last=Maynard|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=July 26, 2006}}

In 2009, she joined the hit Fox television show American Idol as a fourth judge for the show's eighth season alongside judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul.{{cite news|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iwXD4BoO2HF6nbttn2FU7Cw_ZtowD92PCML81 |title='AmericanIdol' adds DioGuardi as fourth judge |agency=Associated Press |date=August 29, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828002329/http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iwXD4BoO2HF6nbttn2FU7Cw_ZtowD92PCML81 |archive-date=August 28, 2008 }} DioGuardi returned to Idol for its ninth season alongside Cowell, Jackson, and new judge Ellen DeGeneres who replaced Paula Abdul after she quit the show in contract disagreements.{{cite journal|url=http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/07/30/kara-dioguardi-returning-to-american-idol/|title=Kara DioGuardi Returning to American Idol|date=July 30, 2009|journal=People|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090804055055/http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/07/30/kara-dioguardi-returning-to-american-idol/|archive-date=August 4, 2009}} However, DioGuardi decided to leave the show on September 3, 2010 and did not return for the tenth season of Idol.{{cite web|url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/09/03/kara-dioguardi-not-returning-to-american-idol-its-finally-official/|title=Kara DioGuardi not returning to 'American Idol': It's (finally) official|access-date=August 12, 2015}} It has since been said that DioGuardi helped Steven Tyler become a judge on American Idol, after they worked together at DioGuardi's house in Los Angeles. She has had Idol connections in the past: in 2000, DioGuardi and former Idol judge Paula Abdul co-wrote the UK number-one single "Spinning Around", performed by Kylie Minogue. DioGuardi has written many songs sung by Idol winners and alumni such as Kelly Clarkson, Allison Iraheta, David Archuleta, Carrie Underwood, Diana DeGarmo, Katharine McPhee, Kris Allen, Danny Gokey, and Adam Lambert. DioGuardi co-wrote the American Idol season eight coronation single, "No Boundaries", which was performed by both finalists during the competition. DioGuardi struggled to find her place among the judges. In Richard Rushfield's book, "American Idol: The Untold Story," he reveals that often the other judges would leave the studio during commercial breaks, leaving DioGuardi behind to awkwardly sit by herself.{{cite web |url=http://blogs.ajc.com/american-idol-blog/2011/01/17/reading-the-new-american-idol-the-untold-story/ |title=Reading the new 'American Idol: The Untold Story' | American Idol |access-date=June 27, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125204707/http://blogs.ajc.com/american-idol-blog/2011/01/17/reading-the-new-american-idol-the-untold-story/ |archive-date=January 25, 2011 }}

DioGuardi also co-wrote with Jason Reeves a song called "Terrified" for Katharine McPhee's album Unbroken,{{cite web|url=http://www.karadioguardi.com/main.html|title=Kara DioGuardi|access-date=February 10, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100301111948/http://www.karadioguardi.com/main.html|archive-date=March 1, 2010|url-status=dead}} which was covered by Didi Benami, an American Idol contestant from Season 9, during Hollywood week. DioGuardi recorded a video of herself singing "Terrified" with Jason Reeves on YouTube, which has over 1,800,000 views. She appeared on Hannah Montana as herself in the episode "Judge Me Tender".

After leaving American Idol, she was a head judge on the Bravo singer-songwriter competition series Platinum Hit.{{cite news | url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/article/881308--ex-idol-judge-gets-new-tv-show|title=Ex-Idol Judge Gets New TV Show, Toronto Star | work=The Star | date=October 26, 2010}}

DioGuardi guest starred as herself on The Simpsons and Sesame Street. From September 5 – October 30, 2011, she made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago.{{cite web|url=http://broadwayworld.com/article/Kara-DioGuardi-to-Make-Broadway-Debut-as-Roxie-in-CHICAGO-in-Sept-20110617|title=Kara DioGuardi to Make Broadway Debut as 'Roxie' in CHICAGO in Sept.|author=BWW News Desk|work=BroadwayWorld.com|access-date=August 12, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151958-Former-American-Idol-Judge-Kara-DioGuardi-Will-Make-Broadway-Debut-in-Chicago|title=Former "American Idol" Judge Kara DioGuardi Will Make Broadway Debut in Chicago|work=Playbill|access-date=August 12, 2015}} She released an autobiography after her departure from American Idol named A Helluva High Note; Surviving Life, Love and American Idol.

Since 2012, she has taught a semester course called "Hitmaking with Kara DioGuardi" at Berklee College of Music in Boston. The course was developed specifically for the fall 2012 curriculum; it has paired 27 student songwriters and producers to mirror today's music industry practices.{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/idol-worship/american-idol-kara-dioguardi-berklee-course-387851|title=Former 'American Idol' Judge Kara DioGuardi Teaching College Course|author=Michele Amabile Angermiller|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 8, 2012 |access-date=August 12, 2015}} One of her students was Charlie Puth.

In late 2017, DioGuardi helped launch the first effort in Maine of a national program working to prevent child sexual abuse, the [http://www.enoughabuse.org/ Enough Abuse Campaign] (EAC).{{Cite news|url=http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20171219/christmas-angels-inspiring-others-to-stop-child-sexual-abuse|title=Christmas Angels: 'Inspiring others' to stop child sexual abuse|last=McDermott|first=Deborah|work=seacoastonline.com|access-date=December 21, 2017|language=en|archive-date=December 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222053200/http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20171219/christmas-angels-inspiring-others-to-stop-child-sexual-abuse|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://bangordailynews.com/2017/12/20/domestic-and-sexual-violence/former-american-idol-judge-partners-with-maine-doctor-cop-to-fight-child-sex-abuse/|title=Former 'American Idol' judge partners with Maine doctor, cop to fight child sex abuse|work=Bangor Daily News|access-date=December 21, 2017|language=en-US}}

In 2003, DioGuardi won a BMI Cable Award for co-writing and performing "Somethin' To Say", the theme to the Lifetime Television series For the People, which starred Lea Thompson, Debbi Morgan, A. Martinez, and Cecilia Suárez. DioGuardi has been awarded 15 BMI Awards for having co-written the most performed songs on the radio. One of the industry's most highly sought after songwriters and producers, her songs have appeared on records which have sold more than 150 million copies combined. In 2007, she was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the category of Song of the Year for writing the Belinda single, "Bella Traición" along with co-writers Belinda, Ben Moody, Nacho Peregrin and producer Mitch Allan. In November 2007, DioGuardi was awarded the TAXI A&R award for Humanitarian of the Year at the annual Road Rally Convention.{{cite web|author=Laskow, Michael |url=http://www.taxi.com/transmitter/0802/headlineA0802.html|title=A&R Insuder: Kara DioGuardi, Keynote Interview, Part 2, Live on Stage at TAXI's Road Rally 2007|publisher=TAXI Transmitter / taxi.com|date=February 2008}}

{{Main|Kara DioGuardi discography}}

{{further|:Category:Songs written by Kara DioGuardi}}

With MaD DoLL:

• Mad Doll{{cite news|title=Idol hands – Why would a hit songwriter join the peanut gallery on American Idol?|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/idol-hands-1.796673|author=Sarah Liss|publisher=CBC News|access-date=August 6, 2010 | date=January 14, 2009}} (1999)

With Platinum Weird:

• Make Believe (2006)
• Platinum Weird (2006)

As a featured artist:

• "If I Can't Have You" on Meat Loaf's album "Hang Cool Teddy Bear" (2010)
• "The Sun Will Rise" on Kelly Clarkson's album Stronger (2011)

Music videos

• "Not Meant to Be" – Theory of a Deadman (2009)

DioGuardi splits her time between Los Angeles and York Harbor, Maine.{{cite news|author=Jon Caramanica|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/arts/television/11cara.html|title=Idols, You'll Have to Pass Through Her|date=January 9, 2009|newspaper=New York Times|access-date=February 26, 2011}} She began dating teacher-turned-general contractor Mike McCuddy in 2007{{cite magazine|title=Idol Judge Kara DioGuardi Got Engaged in Her Pajamas|url=https://people.com/celebrity/idol-judge-kara-dioguardi-got-engaged-in-her-pajamas/|author=Eunice Oh|year=2009|magazine=People|access-date=January 17, 2013}} after the two met while he was working on a home adjacent to her property in Maine.{{cite web|url=http://www.portlandmonthly.com/kara.html|title=Idol Banter|author=Colin Sargent|author-link=Colin Sargent|publisher=Portland Magazine|year=2009|access-date=August 6, 2010}} After a year and a half of dating, DioGuardi and McCuddy got engaged in December 2008{{cite magazine|title=Idol Judge Kara DioGuardi Got Engaged in Her Pajamas|url=https://people.com/celebrity/idol-judge-kara-dioguardi-got-engaged-in-her-pajamas/|author=Eunice Oh|year=2009|magazine=People|access-date=January 7, 2013}} and married on July 5, 2009, in Prospect Harbor, Maine.{{cite magazine|title=American Idol Judge Kara DioGuardi Weds in Maine|url=https://people.com/celebrity/american-idol-judge-kara-dioguardi-weds-in-maine/|author=Cynthia Wang|year=2009|magazine=People|access-date=August 5, 2010}} McCuddy has a teenage daughter from a previous relationship.[https://people.com/celebrity/idol-judge-kara-dioguardi-is-engaged/ Idol Judge Kara DioGuardi Engaged!] People.com, January 13, 2009 Together, DioGuardi and McCuddy have one son, born via gestational carrier on January 31, 2013.{{Cite web|title=Kara DioGuardi Welcomes Son Greyson James|url=https://people.com/parents/american-idol-kara-dioguardi-welcomes-son/|access-date=2020-09-07|website=People|language=EN}} The couple made the decision to use a surrogate after years of infertility and unsuccessful in vitro fertilization attempts.{{cite magazine|title=Baby Boy on the Way for Kara DioGuardi|url=http://celebritybabies.people.com/2013/01/16/kara-dioguardi-expecting-son-gestational-surrogate/|author=Marisa Laudadio|date=January 16, 2013|magazine=People|access-date=January 17, 2013|archive-date=January 17, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117021126/http://celebritybabies.people.com/2013/01/16/kara-dioguardi-expecting-son-gestational-surrogate/|url-status=dead}}

DioGuardi works with the Phoenix House, a non-profit substance abuse service organization; she contributes to recording studios in the facilities and helps teach the teens how to operate the equipment. In February 2010, she joined former American Idol contestant Elliott Yamin in a charity trip sponsored by ExxonMobil to Angola where they visited malaria prevention and treatment projects as part of Idol Gives Back.

In May 2010, she posed nude for the annual "Naked Truth" issue of Allure magazine.[https://web.archive.org/web/20100415194009/http://www.allure.com/magazine/2010/05/celebrities_pose_nude_for_allure The Naked Truth: 5 celebrities bare it all for Allure] Allure. Archived on April 15, 2010.

• {{cite book |title=A Helluva High Note: Surviving Life, Love, and American Idol |first=Kara |last=DioGuardi |year=2011 |publisher=It Books |isbn=978-0-06-205989-5 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/helluvahighnotes00diog }}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite web | author=Widran, Jonathan | url=http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/dioguardi.htm | title=Kara DioGuardi Discusses How She Got Started, Her Hit Songs, And Songwriting | work=SongwriterUniverse Magazine | access-date=December 14, 2004}}
• {{cite web | author=Reynolds, J.R. | url=http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/onthescene/200203/kdioguardi.asp | title=On the Scene: Kara DioGuardi | work=BMI MusicWorld |date=March 2002 | access-date=December 14, 2004}}
• {{cite news | author=Lee, Chris | title=Spinning all that angst into pop gold. Lindsay. Hilary. Celine. Pink. Kara DioGuardi's first-person songs pushed them all up the charts. And now it's her turn to shout | work=Los Angeles Times | page=E1 | date=December 25, 2005}} Guest Co-host; (ABC Television) The View | October 15, 2009

• {{commons category-inline}}
• {{Official website}}
• [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p150963|pure_url=yes}} Kara DioGuardi at All Music Guide]
• {{youTube|u=KaraDioguardiDotCom}}
• {{IMDb name|id=1291934|name=Kara DioGuardi}}
• [http://www.berklee.edu/news/songwriting-idol Berklee College of Music's Songwriting Idol]
• [http://entertainment-news-network-archive.blogspot.com/2006/09/interview-platinum-weirds-dave-stewart.html LiveDaily – Platinum Weird's Dave Stewart and Kara DioGuardi interview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824113859/http://entertainment-news-network-archive.blogspot.com/2006/09/interview-platinum-weirds-dave-stewart.html |date=August 24, 2019 }}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dioguardi, Kara}}

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