Diana DeGarmo finished second on the 2004 American Idol largely due to her plucky, irrepressible spirit. She was the local girl next door who always has the desire to put on a show, and viewers responded as much to that attitude as they did to her voice. It also didn't hurt that at the age of 16, she was one of the youngest contestants on the show, and it's very likely that many members of her fan base identified with her -- when they watched Diana they could see themselves up there on-stage. Released six months after the close of the show's third season (and only two weeks after 2004's winner, Fantasia Barrino, released her first album), DeGarmo's debut, Blue Skies, is halfway between Kelly Clarkson's streamlined, mature take on Ashlee Simpson's rock-tinged anthemic pop (as evidenced on her fine second album, Breakaway) and Clay Aiken's deliberately safe, milquetoast adult contemporary. Musically, it's the right direction for DeGarmo, who isn't even as hip as Justin Guarini, and the hooky songs -- many written by Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks, who also contributed to Lindsay Lohan's debut album, Speak -- evoke DeGarmo's rise to fame. At 17, Diana DeGarmo may be young, but the best moments here -- like her best moments on the show -- prove that she's a likeable, ingratiating singer, particularly when given a chance to belt out a showstopper like "Don't Cry Out Loud." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Kwaku Alston (Cover Photo), Clive Davis (Audio Production), Shari Sutcliffe (Contractor), Brian Coleman (Production Coordination), Andreas Carlsson (Producer), Jeff Rothschild (Drums), Shelea Frasier (Choir, Chorus), Steve Churchyard (Engineer), Tim Pierce (Guitar), Andreas Carlsson (Vocal Producer), Serban Ghenea (Mixing), John Shanks (Audio Production), Charlie Bisharat (Concert Master), Jeff Rothschild (Engineer), Joe Yannece (Mastering), Clive Davis (Producer), John Shanks (Producer), Jochem van der Saag (Programming), Chris Willis (Choir, Chorus), Michael Eleopoulos (Engineer), Dan Warner (Guitar), Kara DioGuardi (Producer), William Champlin (Choir, Chorus), Kevin Harp (Mixing Assistant), Stephen Ferrera (A&R), Jim Gilstrap (Choir, Chorus), Chris Braide (Choir, Chorus), Andreas Carlsson (Audio Production), David Campbell (String Conductor), Steve Churchyard (String Engineer), John Shanks (Mixing), Jeff Rothschild (Mixing), Shari Sutcliffe (Production Coordination), Bill Payne (Piano), Mark Valentine (Engineer), Jochem van der Saag (Sound Design), Anthony Kilhoffer (Assistant Engineer), Oren Waters (Choir, Chorus), Tim Pierce (Guitar (Electric)), Kara DioGuardi (Vocals (Background)), Betty Ross Blumer (Copyist), Anna Nordell (Vocals (Background)), John Shanks (Guitar (Bass)), Kalle Engstrom (Programming), Evan Wilson (Violin), Rob Jacobs (Engineer), Suzie Katayama (String Contractor), Alejandro Rodriguez (Digital Editing), David Hungate (Guitar (Bass)), Andreas Carlsson (Guitar), Kevin Dorsey (Choir, Chorus), Michael Eleopoulos (Assistant Engineer), Andreas Carlsson (Choir, Chorus), Keely Pressly (Vocals (Background)), Harry Maslin (Producer), Tim Roberts (Assistant), Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Drums), David Foster (String Arrangements), David Campbell (String Arrangements), Paul Bushnell (Guitar (Bass)), Rick Ash (Engineer), Neil Devor (Programming), Bob Clearmountain (Engineer), Steve Waldman (Engineer), Jerry Hey (String Arrangements), John Shanks (Keyboards), Joe Meyer (French Horn), David Foster (Audio Production), Armen Ksadjikian (Celli), Marcy Larson (Reissue Design), FJH (Art Direction), Lars Fox (Engineer), Curt Kroeger (Assistant Engineer), Kenny Aronoff (Drums), Alejandro Rodriguez (Digital Engineer), Kalle Engstrom (Engineer), Paul Bushnell (Bass), John Shanks (Bass), Robert Zimmitti (Tympani [Timpani]), Kalle Engstrom (Keyboards), Matt Rollings (Piano), Larry Corbett (Celli), Jerry Hey (Horn Arrangements), John Shanks (Guitar), Humberto Gatica (Mixing), Matt Gruber (Engineer), Alex Pavlides (Engineer), Andy Zulla (Mixing), Harry "Slick" Sommerdahl (Programming), Desmond Child (Producer), Desmond Child (Audio Production), Billy Payne (Piano), Barry Fasman (Arranger), Andreas Carlsson (Vocals (Background)), David Foster (Keyboards), Jochem van der Saag (Digital Editing), David Hungate (Bass), David Campbell (Horn Conductor), Stephen Ferrera (Producer), Jamie Muhoberac (Keyboards), Humberto Gatica (Engineer), John Hanes (Digital Editing), Steve Conger (Engineer), David Foster (Producer), Andreas Carlsson (Choir Arrangement), Harry Maslin (Engineer), Neil Devor (Digital Editing), Thomas Blindberg (Bass), Dennis Budimir (Guitar), Harry "Slick" Sommerdahl (Engineer), David Foster (Horn Arrangements), Jochem van der Saag (Keyboards), Kwaku Alston (Photography), Richard Hwang (Engineer), Brad Warnaar (French Horn), Andy Zulla (Engineer), Chris Willis (Choir Arrangement), Lee Ritenour (Guitar), Jay Ruston (Engineer), Kalle Engstrom (Digital Editing), Dan Warner (Engineer), Harry "Slick" Sommerdahl (Keyboards), Bob Becker (Violin), Desmond Child (Choir, Chorus), Jochem van der Saag (Digital Engineer), Andreas Carlsson (Engineer), Jim Keltner (Drums), Kevin Harp (Assistant Engineer), Neil Devor (Digital Engineer), Greg Burns (Assistant Engineer), David Foster (Arranger), Jules Gondar (Engineer), Diana DeGarmo (Vocals), Bob Clearmountain (Mixing), David Campbell (Horn Arrangements), Dean Parks (Guitar (Acoustic)), Desmond Child (Vocal Producer), Lori Perry (Choir, Chorus)
