Miami native Diane Broomfield grew up in an eight-sibling family wherein music was a constantly defining factor. Though none of the brothers and sisters were formally trained, what was an enjoyable hobby became a professional gig for all before reaching the teenage years. The family worked together under various aliases throughout the '70s and '80s, and most of the members made solo recordings in this period, as well. Williams picked up the nickname "Dee Dee" in early childhood; and she borrowed the surname "Wilde" from older brother Ron, who attained international fame as RB balladeer Eugene Wilde in the mid-'80s. She first appeared on record with the family group Tight Connection in the late '70s via a single deal with Taurus Records. Subsequently performing as Life, La Voyage, and Simplicious, the unit enjoyed a minor RB hit in 1984 under the latter name with Let Her Feel It. Eugene caught the ears of executives at Philly World, who pulled him from the group for a solo deal. His success with the label led to a European deal with 4th Broadway -- which, in turn, helped secure Dee Dee her own contract. In 1988, Wilde released her first single, I Found You, with the label. The U.K. success of this and Lap of Luxury led to her debut album, No Way Out, released only in Europe and Japan. Her style here blended elements of powerful belters like Chaka Khan and deeper tones à la Evelyn Champagne King, and solidified her position as a commanding soul-ballad singer. She co-wrote (under the name D. Williams) and co-produced all of the material on the album. Proving her flexibility, she guested on dance group Urban High's 1989 cover of Loleatta Holloway's Runaway, and added touches of house and hip-hop to her sophomore set, 1992's Get-A-Way. The album nearly broke the singer as an RB force in the U.S.; but WEA-distributed Northern Star's internal troubles led to the company dissolving before promotion was completed -- leaving the singer/songwriter somewhat disillusioned with the industry. Before and during her solo recordings, however, she had done session work with acts including James Brown, Phyllis Hyman, and INXS. She had also made a name as a top live performer in Miami's local club scene. Her track record in both of these areas caught the attention of a France-based club owner, who was putting together a club act including bandmates of Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind Fire, among others. Wilde took the gig and got the chance to work with idols, including Wonder and Chaka Khan, as a result. Simultaneously, she independently released Get-A-Way to the U.K. market under the title I Love You on Trans-A. In 2001, Wilde changed the spelling of her name to "DeDee." She recorded her third album, PG-13, for family label Wilde City. With brother Eugene having achieved success as a songwriter for Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, he added elements of dance-pop, as well as rock, in his duties as producer and songwriter for the set. The Florida-based label made distribution deals with companies in the U.S. and abroad, and broke Wilde as a pop success with the single, Some Kinda Guy; while the track The Workout Song attracted club play. ~ Justin M. Kantor, Rovi