{{Short description|American musician (1949–1999)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2014}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Gregg Diamond | image = | caption = | image_size = | background = non_performing_personnel | birth_name = Gregory Oliver Diamond | birth_date = {{birth date|1949|5|4}} | birth_place = Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1999|3|14|1949|5|4}} | death_place = United States | instrument = Piano, keyboards | genre = Pop rock, jazz, disco, pop, glam rock | occupation = Musician, songwriter, producer | years_active = | label = | associated_acts = {{ubl|The Andrea True Connection|Luther Vandross|Len}} }}
'''Gregory Oliver Diamond''' (May 4, 1949 – March 14, 1999)<ref>{{cite book|last1=Arena|first1=James|title=First Ladies of Disco: 32 Stars Discuss the Era and Their Singing Careers|date=July 5, 2013|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476603322|page=43|edition=illustrated}}</ref> was an American pianist, drummer, songwriter, and producer who was active in the jazz and disco music scenes of the 1970s.
==Career== Diamond played drums and percussion for the Creatures, the backing band for Jobriath.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2014/08/godfrey-diamond-interview|title=Interview: Godfrey Diamond on Andrea True's 'More, More, More'|first=Abby|last=Garnett|website=Red Bull Music Academy|date=August 13, 2014}}</ref> He wrote "Hot Butterfly", released in 1978 under one of his group's names, '''Bionic Boogie'''. Luther Vandross provided lead vocals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagonow.com/saki-to-me/2015/07/forever-for-always-for-luther/|title=Forever, For Always, For Luther|first=Masaki|last=Araya|website=ChicagoNow|date=July 1, 2015|access-date=September 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905095648/http://www.chicagonow.com/saki-to-me/2015/07/forever-for-always-for-luther/|archive-date=September 5, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> The song was later covered by David Lasley, the Sweet Inspirations, and Chaka Khan.
His other popular songs included "Risky Changes" and "Dance Little Dreamer" (both released by Bionic Boogie in 1977), "Cream (Always Rises to the Top)" (released by Bionic Boogie in 1978), "Starcruisin'" (1978), "Fancy Dancer" (1978), and "Tiger, Tiger (Feel Good For a While)" (1979). "Dance Little Dreamer" reached #1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play chart in 1978. "Cream (Always Rises to the Top)" reached #61 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1979.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book|first=David|last=Roberts|year=2006|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=1-904994-10-5|page=154}}</ref>
Diamond's association with Vandross came from the success of David Bowie's ''Young Americans'' album, which included contributions by Vandross and Diamond's brother Godfrey (his sound engineer). Diamond wrote and produced an album for TK Records recording artist George McCrae, scoring a club hit with "Love in Motion".
His biggest commercial success was as writer and producer of the single "More, More, More" recorded by the Andrea True Connection in 1975.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nj1015.com/meet-andrea-true-connection/|title=Meet Andrea True Connection|first=Craig|last=Allen|website=WKXW|date=August 30, 2014}}</ref> Diamond received a posthumous songwriting credit for Len's 1999 hit "Steal My Sunshine", which sampled "More, More, More".
Diamond died of internal bleeding on March 14, 1999, at age 49.<ref>{{cite magazine|url={{Google books|SQ0EAAAAMBAJ|page=44|plainurl=yes}}|title=Dance Trax|first=Michael|last=Paoletta|magazine=Billboard|page=44|date=April 3, 1999|issn=0006-2510}}</ref>
==Discography== ===Albums=== * 1977: ''Bionic Boogie'' (Polydor) * 1978: Gregg Diamond Bionic Boogie – ''Hot Butterfly'' (Polydor) * 1978: ''Gregg Diamond's Star Cruiser'' (TK) * 1979: Gregg Diamond Bionic Boogie – ''Tiger Tiger'' (Polydor) * 1979: ''Gregg Diamond Hardware'' (Mercury)
===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Single ! scope="col" colspan="3"| Peak chart positions |- ! style="width:45px;"| <small>US Dance</small><br><ref name="VF1">{{cite web|title=Bionic Boogie Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography|url=https://www.musicvf.com/Bionic+Boogie.art|website=Music VF|access-date=16 April 2022}}</ref><ref name="VF2">{{cite web|title=Gregg Diamond Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography|url=https://www.musicvf.com/Gregg+Diamond.art|website=Music VF|access-date=16 April 2022}}</ref> ! style="width:45px;"| <small>US R&B</small><br><ref name="VF1"/><ref name="VF2"/> ! style="width:45px;"| <small>UK</small><br><ref name="UK">{{cite web|title=GREGG DIAMOND BIONIC BOOGIE - full Official Chart History|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/17400/gregg-diamond-bionic-boogie/|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=16 April 2022}}</ref> |- | rowspan="4"| 1978 | "Dance Little Dreamer" | align=center | 1 | align=center | ― | align=center | ― |- | "Risky Changes" | align=center | 1 | align=center | 79 | align=center | ― |- | "Hot Butterfly" | align=center | 8 | align=center | ― | align=center | 77 |- | "Star Cruiser" | align=center | 7 | align=center | 57 | align=center | ― |- | rowspan="2"| 1979 | "Danger" | align=center | 21 | align=center | ― | align=center | — |- | "Cream (Always Rises to the Top)" | align=center | ― | align=center | ― | align=center | 61 |- | rowspan="1"| 1980 | "Tiger Tiger (Feel Good for a While)" | align=center | 33 | align=center | ― | align=center | ― |- | colspan="6" style="text-align:center; font-size:9pt;"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |}
==See also== *List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart *List of disco artists (F-K)
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Allmusic |class=artist |id=gregg-diamond-mn0001696979}} *{{Discogs artist|104914-Gregg-Diamond}} *{{IMDb name|1263353}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Diamond, Gregg}} Category:1949 births Category:1999 deaths Category:American dance musicians Category:American disco musicians Category:20th-century American male musicians Category:Deaths from gastrointestinal hemorrhage