I grew up listening to Dolly Parton and just loving her music.
— Diana DeGarmo
I want to be a country singer more than anything in the world.
I love the challenge of singing something that's not that easy.
Acting while I'm singing just kind of happened because I'm a hambone at heart, I guess. And I'm a Gemini - I've got several personalities to access as an actor.
I grew up doing certain little things in the musical theatre realm, but I didn't really understand that you could... make a career out of it.
I would love to go to college because you never know what is going to happen with your career, and you always want something to fall back on.
Snellville is a great city. It's a great place to grow up and live. I love it. It's very full of southern charm and wonderful people. And they've supported me greatly throughout all of my endeavors.
The New York theater community didn't like being invaded by reality stars - they still don't - but I got in there and auditioned just like everybody else. They hired me for 'Hairspray' to help sell tickets for a few weeks, but I ended up being there much longer than originally planned and started to carve a niche for myself.
I didn't necessarily set out to be in musical theater, but that's where my path has taken me, and I've been loving and enjoying it ever since.
It's been really cool to go to places I've never been to around the country and performing for people and bringing a fun show to entertain folks.
My mom had a tape of Patsy Cline's greatest hits, and whenever we were in the car, she would put it on, and it got to the point where I knew all the words to every one of the songs, and I knew what order they came in on the tape.
My mom is my manager and handles day-to-day business to keep the DeGarmo machine up and running! She's a huge, huge part of my career and my life.
Honestly, I actually would really love to see more musical theatre actors do the movie adaptations of shows - I think that would be really great to see.
Just so many people have connections with 'Joseph,' so it is great to be a part of something that you don't really have to sell to people at all - they already love it.
My day look is usually a good pair of jeans, my boots, and a cute T-shirt, but I love to get all dolled up in a dress and heels to go out.
Working with Dolly Parton was one of the coolest experiences of my life.
Some people might call me a party pooper.
I always knew I wanted to be involved in entertainment in some way. But I really can't say I'd be where I am now if I hadn't been on 'American Idol.'
I really truly believe I found my identity with country music.
What I do is a little bigger than traditional country. I've been belting all my life, so I fit right in with the musical-theater style.
I appreciate the level of professionalism and talent that I get to be around every night, eight times a week.
Most people don't know I grew up singing country music; that's what I sang right up until I did 'Idol.'
I love all genres of music. I think it helps you become a better performer if you know the different types of music.
I love shopping for shoes. I'm a big shoe-lover. Shopping is definitely something that I do on a regular basis.
People who want to be singers can be nurtured and taught, and they can make great strides. But, the truth is, if you are completely tone deaf, it is never going to happen for you. It's just a reality of life. It's like me thinking I can be an Olympic swimmer. It ain't gonna happen!
I remember when I was in 'Hairspray' - my first Broadway show - I truly was in awe of the voices I got to hear on a nightly basis around me. I'm thinking, 'Wow! Why aren't these people selling millions of records?' They're the ones that are out there, you know, belting their faces off!
I believe that you should not be just raised on what the music is right then. You should be raised on what is from your past, what your parents have grown up with, because it's a really big piece of your culture that you need to know about, and I'm glad my mother has done that for me.
I always loved singing. No matter where I was, I would just make up my own stuff.
I have a brother who has been overseas for two tours. I've been very fortunate that he has come home safely. Whether or not you support the war, always support our soldiers.
I got a hug from Kathleen Marshall, Sheryl Crow, and Barry Levinson all in the same day - and that was something pretty special!
I was friends with everybody. I never stuck to one clique.
I liked school except for having to get up early and, of course, high school drama!
I can't tell you how wonderful it is to hop in my car and drive home after rehearsal.
I remember my mother and I sitting down counting off our pennies to pay our bills. We really had nothing.
The contracts for 'Idol' are definitely very intimidating at first. There's lots of fine, fine details that you have to read through.
Good music is timeless, whether it's a country song, rock, or R&B.
Southern women sometimes get dumbed down when they're turned into characters. I don't like that.
I love musical theater because it's live. There is no Auto-Tune. There's no second chance. What you see is what you get. You have to be amazing every night.
I'm definitely interested in acting. I've done it in my past. I know I can do it, let's put it that way. And it's so much fun.
I grew up listening to Patsy Cline. I was a huge Patsy Cline fan. I still am. Even though she's considered country, I think of her more as a blues singer. She's got a great blues voice, and she has such an amazing story, which I always loved.
There was a perception that reality-show people are just mere personalities, that they don't have real talent, and I worked real hard to change peoples' minds, one show at a time, and proved a lot of people wrong. I'm proud I was the first to do that for 'Idol' on Broadway!
I've always wanted to be a recognized singer and just - just so people can hear my music - and thought, you know, look how many people watch 'American Idol.' Why not audition, you know?
I worked at Dollywood when I was a kid. Then I worked at Opryland. I worked at a variety of theater things in Atlanta. I was also in a choir for two years where we did 'Annie' and 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.'
My mom played me all kinds of music, from Ella Fitzgerald to Celine Dion. I listened to everything growing up, old and new.
I've had the most amazing interviews, and I've done interviews that were so bad, I was embarrassed to be interviewed. I've seen both sides of the coin.
With 'American Idol,' you are on your toes a lot. People don't realize the amount of work.
The funny thing when you are with a man that has lots of fans - particularly female fans - it gets sensitive!
After 'American Idol,' I got a lot of 'stuck up' rumors that just fueled the never-ending flames of high school drama. Thankfully, my real friends always stood up for me and knew I wasn't like that.
Being away from loved ones can be very hard. Taxing. With a tour, you don't know whether you'll see each other in three weeks, three months, or three days.
I actually grew up being part of the kids' choirs, so I knew 'Joseph' basically my entire life. We've brought in this new multimedia aspect that really makes the show jump off the stage and into the audience.
