Biography
Born Marie Diane Bottrell on 16 January 1961 in London, Ontario, Canada, she drew early inspiration from Dolly Parton recordings and joined her family band as a vocalist at age 11. After releasing her debut album on the MBS label in 1978 she quit school to launch a solo career. Canadian chart entries soon followed, among them ‘This Feeling Called Love’, which prompted MBS to cut a second album in 1980. Several Canadian country music award nominations arrived alongside further hits such as ‘The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan’. In 1981 RCA Canada signed her to separate contracts as singer and songwriter and she collected additional award nominations. An album cut in Nashville in 1983 yielded the Canadian hits ‘Everybody Wants To Be Single’ and ‘Only The Names Have Been Changed’. She created a surprise at the first Canadian Country Music Fans Awards by being voted favourite female singer ahead of Anne Murray and Carroll Baker. A 1984 tour with Lee Greenwood preceded the 1985 Canadian chart single ‘Premeditated Love’. The 1986 release ‘Girls Get Lonely Too’ arrived as her career seemed stalled; after RCA Records dropped her she concentrated on songwriting. Cardinal released her 1989 duet ‘Lover’s Game’ with Dan Paul Rogers. She contributed vocals to the Border Town Cafe soundtrack and, performing in 1991 with Tracy Prescott and Anita Perras as Treeo, scored a solo Canadian chart success with ‘I Don’t Give Up So Easy’.
Albums
