Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; Album sales on which her songs have appeared exceeds 159 million worldwide. DioGuardi is a Grammy nominated writer, 2011 NAMM Music For Life Award winner, 2009 NMPA Songwriter Icon Award winner, 2007 BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year, and has received 15 BMI Awards for co-writing the most performed songs on the radio. DioGuardi served as a judge on American Idol for its eighth and ninth seasons. Her contract was not renewed for the next season. In 2008, she was appointed to the position of executive vice president of talent development at Warner Bros. Records, and has signed acts such as Jason Der�lo and Iyaz. In 2011, she was a head judge on the Bravo singer-songwriter competition series Platinum Hit. 

December 9th, 1970 in New Rochelle (Age 54)