King Diamond

Born: June 14, 1956, Denmark
This page is for King Diamond the person, for King Diamond the group, see King Diamond.
King Diamond is a heavy metal vocalist who has performed with Mercyful Fate as well as his own band. He is best known for his frequent use of falsetto vocals, his theatrical stage presence, and his ever-changing face paint which frequently has designs that include inverted crosses. While in Mercyful Fate, King Diamond's lyrics mostly focused on the occult and anti-Christian themes, although with his own band he turned his focus towards Gothic horror stories, often involving haunted houses, ghosts, and possession. In the 1980s, the King was a frequent target of criticism by religious and parents watchdog groups due to his image and his connection Anton LaVey's Church of Satan, of which, at the time, he was an official member (although, in recent years, King has stated that he follows no religion at all).
In recent years, King Diamond has relocated to Dallas, Texas, USA. He is married to Hungarian-born vocalist Livia Zita, who performs with his band and is also his business partner. In the late 2000s, his performing career was hampered by health issues, which included back surgery in 2007 and a triple-bypass in 2010.