Dido Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong was born in the affluent district of Kensington, West London, on Christmas Day 1971.
Her mother, Clare (née Collins), is a poet of French ancestry, and her father, William O'Malley Armstrong (1938–2006), was an Irish publisher and former managing director of Sidgwick & Jackson.
Dido was educated at Thornhill Primary School in Islington, Dallington School, City of London Girls' and Westminster School where she was taught by the contemporary musician and Head of Academic Music, Sinan Savaskan.
Her parents enrolled her at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
By the time she reached her teens she had learned to play the piano, recorder and the violin.
She later studied law at Birkbeck, University of London, while working as a literary agent.
She never completed the degree, deciding instead to take up music full-time.
After learning the guitar, she showcased her skills to audiences during her 2004 Life for Rent tour.
Dido attained international success with her debut album No Angel (1999). Hit singles from the album include "Here with Me" and "Thank You". It sold over 21 million copies worldwide, and won her several awards, including two Brit Awards: Best British Female and Best British Album, and the MTV Europe Music Award for Best New Act.
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