Leigh, Diane

Websites:  No
Origin: Toronto, Ontario, 🇨🇦
Biography:

Recognized as one of the first Canadian country female artists to achieve national recognition with awards, radio and television exposure, Dianne Leigh first performed as a featured vocalist in the Toronto pop band, The Sapphires. By the early 1960s, she was a featured vocalist in the western group, Sons of the Saddle, worked the Toronto club scene as a solo act and toured briefly playing drums in Patsy Cline's road band.

In 1963, Dianne recorded her first album "Shadows of your Heart" in Nashville attracting chart action on Canadian radio. Throughout her career, Dianne accumulated 16 chartered singles (RPM Country Charts with six Top 10 hits and three #1 hits). In 1994, music trade publication, RPM, considered her the ninth top Canadian country artist of the previous 30 years based on her standings in the publication's charts.

Dianne performed at the famed Grand Ole Opry in Nashville Tennessee, the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas and performed for American troops in Germany. Dianne Leigh won the prestigious RPM Gold Leaf Award (later named the Juno Awards) a record 5 years in a row for Top Female Country Artist in Canada from 1965-1969. Dianne Leigh also holds the title of first ever Juno Award recipient in Canada back in 1970.

Dianne Leigh was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015 during the CCMA awards in Halifax.