Marié Digby

Singer/songwriter Marié Digby is perhaps best known for posting a clip of herself performing an acoustic version of Rihanna's "Umbrella" on /YouTube. The clip received thousands of views, was used on the MTV reality show The Hills, and even garnered her an appearance on the late-night talk show Last Call with Carson Daly. A native of Los Angeles, CA, Digby grew up in a multicultural family with an Irish-American father and Japanese mother. Interested in music from a young age, Digby began taking piano lessons while still a toddler. By the time she had reached high school, Digby was also playing guitar and performing her own music. After high school, she enrolled as a philosophy major at the University of California, Berkeley, before leaving to pursue music full-time.
In 2004, her song "Miss Invisible" took first prize in the Pantene Pro-Voice Music Competition and landed her some high-profile performances on MTV and VH1. Soon after, Digby -- then 21 years old -- signed with Hollywood Records. In 2007, it was mistakenly reported that Digby had been "discovered" and signed to Hollywood after her /YouTube version of "Umbrella" became an Internet sensation. In subsequent interviews, Digby denied that there was ever an attempt to fool the public. Around the same time, she released a four-song EP featuring a version of "Umbrella." Her full-length debut, Unfold, followed in 2008, unveiling her summery pop music to a national audience, while 2009's Breathing Underwater focused more heavily on R&B songwriting and heavy production. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide