To say that Diane Warren is the most awarded and commercially successful songwriter of the decade is an understatement. For close to two decades, her music has dominated the charts unlike any other composer. She was recently nominated for a 1997 Oscar for Best Achievement in Music (original song) for her number one hit, "How Do I Live," sung by Trisha Yearwood, from the Disney film, ConAir. The song also garnered Yearwood a Grammy Award for Female Country Vocal Performance and Grammy nominations for Song of the Year and Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television, as well as an Academy of Country Music nomination for Song of the Year. In an extraordinary circumstance, "How Do I Live" was also recorded by LeAnn Rimes and was a double platinum seller for her. 

"How Do I Love" follows hot on the heels of Diane's 1996 number one hit, "Because You Loved Me," sung by Celine Dion in the Disney motion picture Up Close and Personal. "Because You Loved Me" won a 1996 Grammy Award (Diane's first) for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television, and earned a 1996 Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. In addition, "Because You Loved Me" received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original song (written for a motion picture). Diane had another mega-hit that year with "Unbreak My Heart," performed by Toni Braxton, which was number one for 11 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. Braxton received a Grammy Award for Female Pop Performance for the song. "Unbreak My Heart" also earned Diane an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Song. 

"How Do I Live" and "Because You Loved Me" continue the extraordinary career of Diane Warren. Throughout 1996, 1997 and now 1998, those songs have ruled the charts. The LeAnn Rimes version of "How Do I Live" was number one for 11 weeks on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and the number one top country singles seller on Billboard's year-end chart, among its other achievements. "Because You Loved Me" was number one for 19 weeks on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and number one for 16 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. 

Recently, Diane has pursued some interesting new projects. REALSONGS, her publishing company, has released "Diane Warren, A Passion for Music," as a six CD box set. The compilation contains four CDs of Diane's hits from 1983-1997 and two CDs of "hidden classics" in their original demo form. The hits are performed by the original artists, including DeBarge ("Rhythm of the Night"), Starship ("Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"), and Celine Dion ("Because You Loved Me"). 

Diane's music is receiving another unique tribute, with Johnny Mathis recording an entire album of Diane Warren songs. The CD, on Columbia Records, will be available later this year. 

Diane recently participated in two other unique events. She wrote "What If," a song recorded by Reba McEntire and released during the 1997 holiday season. All proceeds from the sales of the single, as well as the publishing royalties, were donated to the Salvation Army Holiday Fund. Diane was honored at UNICEF's "Gift of Song" benefit concert held in December 1997 to commemorate that organization's 50th Anniversary. Other artists on the bill included Celine Dion, The Fugees' Wyclef Jean, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, Bryan Adams and Mariah Carey. 

All of these achievements are further testimony that Diane is one of the most sought after songwriters in pop music. She is strictly a songwriter (not a producer or artist) and mainly composes by herself, which makes her success that much more incomparable. Her songs have figured prominently in the recording careers of such diverse artists as Toni Braxton, Celine Dion, Joe Cocker, Roy Orbison, LeAnn Rimes, Monica, Whitney Houston, Elton John, Tina Turner, Luis Miguel and Wynonna. She has been a major force in motion pictures since her Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy nominated "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" from the 1987 film Mannequin. 

In addition to her domination of the singles charts, Diane Warren has had her songs in more than 50 major motion pictures. She has multiple Grammy nominations, Academy Award and Golden Globe nods. She was the first songwriter in the history of Billboard to log six hits, all by different artists, on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. During one unprecedented week, in fact, her songs occupied the first and second chart spots, switching positions the following week. She is the only songwriter to be named ASCAP's writer of the year four times. Hundreds of artists around the world have recorded her songs. 

Ironically, when Diane was a youngster, her guitar teacher called her tone deaf. Born in Van Nuys, CA, Diane has been writing songs since age 11. It began when her late father brought home a guitar and Diane played the same tune for hours on end. 

"I think I willed myself into being a songwriter," Diane recalls, "I was in love with the idea when I was 11. I got serious about it when I was 14, writing three songs a day." 

Diane received an early music education through top 40 radio, where she heard the songs of legendary pop writers like Mann and Weil, King and Goffin, and Holland-Dozier-Holland. 

She began sending tapes to music publishers as a teen, receiving countless rejections. Finally in 1983, Diane received her first break, when Laura Branigan recorded "Solitaire," that became a hit single. Three years later, Diane wrote "Rhythm of the Night," which was recorded by DeBarge and hit number three on the pop charts and number one on the Adult Contemporary charts. 

Diane's success has continued since then, with over 75 songs charting in the top 10. She has had number one hits in France, Australia, Holland, Germany and England. Her songs have been recorded by local artists in virtually every territory around the world. 

Diane admits, "I'm possessed, obsessed about song writing. I never really wanted to be a singer. I'm strictly a songwriter." 

As for her inspiration, Diane says, "Ideas and titles just pop into my head. I've written lyrics on the palms of my hand. If I don't have a tape recorder, I'll call home and sing into my answering machine." 

Her music is so respected that American Airlines, US Air, Delta and United have given Diane her own in-flight channel. She has two Greatest Hits music folio collections, Completely Diane Warren, An Anthology of Music and "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" and the Hits of Diane Warren. A third collection will be released in September 1998. In addition, all three books will be available as a special boxed set. 

REALSONGS, her publishing company, was named one of the top 5 music publishing corporations and is the most successful female-owned and operated business in the music industry. It has been named the number one singles publisher by Billboard, meaning that Diane has more singles released and charted in Billboard than any of the major publishing companies. 

Diane is a dedicated philanthropist and supporter of a number of causes, including a patron of the National Academy of Songwriters, a Buddy for Life at AIDS Project Los Angeles and an honorary committee member of PETA. She has been a key donor to the Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance. She also formed the David S. Warren Weekly Entertainment Series at the Jewish Home for the Aging, a program in memory of her father, which provides live entertainment for the community. 

Diane's list of awards and honors is staggering: In addition to the Grammy and her recognition as ASCAP's Songwriter of the Year, she has been named the Billboard Songwriter of the Year twice. REALSONGS also has been recognized as a Top Ten Publishing Corporation twice by Billboard. 

To Diane, however, one of the most gratifying tributes is when she hears someone singing a song she wrote. 

"When I was a kid, the songs I heard on the radio affected me in a deep way," she says. "I hope mine are doing the same thing to other people. If I can speak to someone's heart and soul, then I'll have come up with a pretty good song."