For most, the name may be unfamiliar, but the music of our next Teen Jazz Legend is most certainly not. Diane Warren is the songwriter behind over 100 songs that have been on the charts including “Rhythm of the Night” recorded by DeBarge, “You Pulled Me Through” recorded by Jennifer Hudson, and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” recorded by Aerosmith.
Diane Warren was born September 7, 1956 to David and Flora Warren in Van Nuys, California. She was the youngest of three girls. Warren received her first guitar as a gift from her father at the age of 11 and by the age of 14 her father began taking her to meetings in LA as an accomplished songwriter.
Artists she has written for include Elton John, Aerosmith, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Kid Rock, Joss Stone, Aretha Franklin,Kelly Clarkson, Mary J Blige and many more. Her songs have been in nearly 100 major motion pictures such as Armageddon, Ghostbusters, Coyote Ugly, Gone in 60 Seconds, American Gangster, and Moulin Rouge.
What’s her songwriting process?
She begins writing by brainstorming song titles and then writing the lyrics. She then explores melody options until she finds what feels right. She also only works on one song at a time.
Her advice to an aspiring composer:
In past interviews, Diane Warren said that a good work ethic has done more for her than what she learned in school – the only way to get better at songwriting is by doing it. She also says that the best songs have music and lyrics that truly belong to one another. One cannot go without the other.
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