Diana "Wynter" Gordon (born August 25, 1985 in South Jamaica,
Queens, New York) is an American pop/dance singer-songwriter. She
began as a writer for other artists, later signing with Atlantic
Records where she began working on an album while continuing to write
songs for other acts and providing vocals on songs. Her debut With
the Music I Die was released in 2011.
Gordon was born in Queens, New York City and was brought up in a
poor and dangerous neighborhood in South Jamaica. She is the middle
child of six, they lived in a two bedroom house.[1] She recalled
in an interview that many people she knew were deceased at a young
age, because they "got into the wrong things".[1] However,
she refused to call her childhood difficult, she said that "if
things were rough, I didn't feel it," explaining that the familiarity
of the environment that she grew up in prevented her from objectively
describing it.[1] She attributed her well being to her strict mother
who did not allow her to leave the yard and told her to go to the
library after school.[1] Her mother remarried when Gordon was 5,
but Gordon did not have a close relationship with her step father.[2]
Her strict upbringing resulted in a strained relationship with her
parents.[2]
Gordon began singing at a young age and she began singing at funerals
from the age of 6.[1] She and her siblings would perform together
in church and at street corners by her parents.[2] They were strict
about the music that Gordon and her siblings sang, only allowing
them to listen to and sing gospel.[2] However, Gordon would listen
to the radio when her parents were not at home and recorded songs
from the radio onto tapes that she smuggled into the house.[2] It
was during high school that Gordon decided that she was going to
pursue music.[3] She was later accepted to the Fiorello H. LaGuardia
High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts[2] and interned
at a record company.[3] Gordon wrote her first complete song, "Daddy's
Song" at age 15.[3]
[edit] Career
[edit] 2005–08: Career beginnings
After high school, Wynter threw herself fully into realizing her
music dreams, while also dealing with surviving on her own for the
first time. She juggled several jobs while working in the studio
at nights and as much as she could. During this time, Wynter met
her manager, Keith White who introduced her to Don Pooh at Atlantic
Records. Wynter worked closely with producer D'Mile since 2004 where
they both came with her first track to fame, "Gonna Breakthrough" written
by Wynter Gordon and produced by D'Mile was used as the title track
to Mary J. Blige's 2005 album The Breakthrough. Soon after, Wynter
was given an opportunity and signed to Atlantic Records, through
Don Pooh Music Group, where she has been working on her debut album
since 2004. Also, in 2008, Wynter penned two tracks for Danity Kane's
second album Welcome to the Dollhouse, "2 of You" and "Do
Me Good".
[edit] 2009–present: With the Music I Die and New Recordings
Wynter co-wrote the single "Sugar", a track that she was
featured on with Flo Rida on his album R.O.O.T.S. (2009) after laying
down a reference vocal.[4] The track became an international hit
and peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100. Wynter also
co-wrote and sang on the dance track "Toyfriend" from French
DJ David Guetta's album One Love (2009). She worked closely with
Jennifer Lopez, writing four tracks including "What Is Love", "What
Is Love Part II", "Starting Over" and "Everybody's
Girl" for her seventh studio album Love? (2011). Wynter is also
writing for artists including Adrienne Bailon, Estelle & Gossip
Girl star Leighton Meester.[4]
She released her debut album, With the Music I Die, on June 17,
2011 in Australia. The first single from the album, "Dirty Talk" topped
the US (Billboard) Hot Dance Club Songs and the Australian Singles
Chart, and was certified 3x Platinum, The song was released in the
UK and Ireland on 18 February 2011 where it peaked eight in Ireland
and 25 in the UK. The song spent a total on eleven weeks inside the
Top 40.[5] The second single, "Til Death" has currently
peaked on the Australian Singles Chart at 16 and number 3 on the
US Dance Chart. She opened for Patrick Stump's second US tour in
August and September. "Buy My Love" was released as the
third single from "With The Music I Die".
Wynter announced via Twitter that she has already recorded some
songs and hinted at her second studio album.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
Title Album details AUS US
Dance
With the Music I Die
Released: June 17, 2011[6]
Label: Big Beat
Format: CD, digital download
25 4
[edit] Extended plays
Title EP details
The First Dance
Released: November 9, 2010[7]
Label: Big Beat
Format: Digital download
With the Music I Die
Released: June 28, 2011[8]
Label: Big Beat
Format: Digital download
[edit] Singles
Single Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US Dance
[9] AUS
[10] BEL
(FL)
[11] BEL
(WA)
[12] DEN
[13] FRA
[14] IRE
[15] UK
[16]
"
Dirty Talk" 2010 1 1 3 13 33 50 8 25
AUS: 3× Platinum[17]
With the Music I Die
"
Til Death" 2011 3 16 - - - - - -
AUS: Gold[18]
"Buy My Love" 2 77 - - - - - -
"—"
denotes single that did not chart or was not released
[edit] Promotional singles
Single Year Album
"
Putting It Out There (Pride)"[19] 2011 Non-album single
[edit] As a featured artist
Single Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[20] AUS
[10] FRA
[14] IRE
[15] UK
[21]
"
Sugar"
(Flo Rida featuring Wynter Gordon) 2009 5 20 9 14 19
CAN: Gold[22]
US: Platinum[23]
R.O.O.T.S.
"
I Feel Love"[24]
(Rhythm Masters & MYNC featuring Wynter Gordon) 2010 — — — — — Non-album
singles
"
Believer"[25]
(Freemasons featuring Wynter Gordon) — — — — 113
"
Take Off"[26]
(Mr. Vegas featuring Wynter Gordon) 2011 — — — — —
"
Take Me Away"[27]
(Marvin Priest featuring Wynter Gordon) — 32 — — —
AUS: Gold[28]
"—" denotes single that did not chart or was not
released
[edit] Other appearances
Year Song Artist(s) Album
2008 "Mirrors (Be Myself Again)" Wynter Gordon God Conscious
"
Unify" Wynter Gordon Meet the Browns Soundtrack
2009 "Toyfriend" David Guetta One Love
2010 "The Graduation Song" Kinetics & One Love
"
Sign Language" Kinetics & One Love
"
Airborne" Diggy Simmons Airborne
"
Next Level" Rohff La Cuenta
[edit] Awards and nominations
Year Type Award Result
2011 International Dance Music Awards Best Break-Through Artist (Solo)
(Wynter Gordon)[29] Nominated
Best Pop Dance Track ("Dirty Talk")[29] Nominated
NewNowNext Awards Brink of Fame: Music Artist (Wynter Gordon)[29]
Nominated