Australian singer, Diana Gosper (b. 1976), spent time in children’s homes and foster care as a child.

Diana Anaid is the performance name of Diana Gosper.

Diana’s mother died when she was one. She had an unstable childhood with her father and siblings, including stints in children’s homes and foster care. As she explains:

We stayed in lots of strange situations – my dad was travelling around the country trying to escape from his inner demons… (Sydney Morning Herald). 

Diana’s passion for music began as a child. She found solace in writing lyrics, and taught herself to play guitar.  

I started writing poetry very young and started formulating that into songs at the age of nine. I picked up the guitar when I was fourteen and taught myself how to play that over quite a few years (Sydney Morning Herald). 

As a child, Diana was told that her mother died after tripping and hitting her head whilst in the bush. Decades later, she learned that her mother died fleeing domestic violence at the hands of her violent husband. These revelations were difficult for Diana to come to terms with. 

It threw a bit of confusion into my life when I realised the depths of the abuse that was happening when I was a youngster and it’s also given me an extra layer of strength.  

I always wondered why I’m so unbalanced and so unsure about things. After learning a few things from my childhood and putting a few things together I feel like the jigsaw is complete, and although it’s not such a pretty picture, at least it makes sense (Leeson). 

Diana settled down in northern NSW when she was sixteen. She supported herself by performing local gigs. Within a few years, Diana had a son, Stone. As a young mother, she self-funded her debut album and launched it at her 21st birthday party.  

Diana’s first single, ‘I Go Off’, was a hit on triple j. In 2004, she reached international fame by releasing her third album with a US label. Diana began touring internationally but took a break from music in 2010.  

Diana’s candid and emotional music has been compared to Alanis Morissette and Ani Difranco. Her latest album, My Queen, was released in 2017. Diana has achieved two triple j Hottest 100 hits and a US Billboard Top 40 placement. She has also received five ARIA nominations.  

References: 

“Keep your shorts on.” Sydney Morning Herald, 14 June 2004.  https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/keep-your-shorts-on-20040604-gdj20v.html 

Leeson, Josh. “Diana Anaid makes an empowered return after dealing with dark family secret.” Newcastle Herald, 14 April 2018. https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/5334818/diana-anaid-is-coming-to-terms-with-the-sins-of-her-father/ 

Wehner, Cyclone. “’Better Girl’ Is A Celebration Of Inspiring Women.” The Music, 20 April 2018. https://themusic.com.au/features/diana-anaid-cyclone/OCcrKi0sLy4/20-04-18 

Image available here.