Diamond in the rough: Corbin native Spencer Diamond making waves as an up-and-coming R&B artist

Back in 2014, Spencer Diamond was a senior at Corbin High School. He was a member of the inaugural Redhound swim team, and in an interview former Head Coach Kyle Yeager was quoted in the News Journal, saying, “…Diamond is my distance swimmer, when he isn’t busy flirting with girls and trying to sing during practices.”

Now, nearly ten years later, the old adage of “some things never change” is certainly holding true as Diamond is still out there flirting and singing as a Lexington-based R&B performer. It’s a life that he didn’t know he would be leading back during his days as a Redhound, but now he has big dreams of making a name for himself in the music industry.

“I went to college, but found out quickly that it wasn’t for me,” Diamond said of life immediately following high school graduation. “I came back to Corbin in 2015, and was just trying to figure stuff out. Growing up, I always had music dreams, and music had always been in the back of my mind, but I was afraid of what people might think if I decided to go that route. It took a few years, and a lot of building up confidence, but I eventually decided that I wanted to fully pursue a career in music, and try to make my dreams come true.”

Diamond said that he remembers being musically inclined from a very young age, sitting in the backseat of his mother’s car and singing along with songs from all genres. “She would listen to Boyz II Men, Creed, country music… everything,” he recalls.

This early introduction to a wide range of music would later come through in Diamond’s own presentation, with him describing his style as “deeply rooted in R&B” with a combination of 90s sound and influences from some of today’s top names in hip hop. Of course, being from southeast Kentucky, you can hear some country influence coming through as well.

When Diamond made the decision to get serious about pursuing a musical career, he was living in Lexington. “I eventually moved there to be closer to some friends,” he said. “I made some connections, and started finding my way. I got jobs in restaurants, but would listen to music and write songs all the time. I released some music digitally, and always got good feedback.”

“It got to a point where I knew I wanted to do this,” Diamond continued. “I thought I had been going hard and really pursuing it, but I had a friend tell me that, if I want to make this dream come true, then I need to treat it just like a job. I decided to go to the studio multiple times a week, to write every day, to make connections and build up a social media presence. I started putting out music regularly, and have been getting after it just like it is a job.”

All of that hard work has been paying dividends for Diamond, and has caught the eye of former University of Kentucky Wildcat basketball player Ramel Bradley (class of 2008), who is now representing him.

“Spencer is one of the most humble and respectful guys that I have met since I’ve been here [in Kentucky],” Bradley said. “I started a venture called God of the Hills, which is a brand dedicated to highlighting and amplifying talent here in the state. Through that, I built a relationship with him very organically. I really believe in him and his music, so we decided to give this thing a go.”

Recently, Diamond traveled to the west coast to perform in front of a live crowd at a Los Angeles-area venue called The Virgil. As he explained, the occasion was special for several reasons.

“The show was on October 23, which is the anniversary of my father’s passing,” Diamond said. “The venue was called The Virgil, which is my dad’s name. That was a really cool moment for me. I thought to myself, ‘I have to make this happen,’ because that is bigger than just coincidence in my mind.”

Diamond and Bradley are focusing on scheduling more live events in the weeks and months ahead, with an appearance booked for mid-December at Lexington’s Manchester Hotel rooftop restaurant and bar, called The Lost Palm.

Diamond is also scheduled to appear at the Lexington Opera House in January.

“We’re gaining momentum, and really getting things going,” said Diamond, who added that he would love to have the opportunity to return home and perform live in Corbin at some point in the near future. “It’s been a really good progression so far, and I feel like there is a lot of potential there. I think that, one day, we are going to get to where we want to be. I believe that the sky is the limit.”

To learn more about Spencer Diamond’s music, look him up on Facebook, Instagram (@iamspencerdiamond) and TikTok (@spencerdiamondmp3).

Those interested can also hear Diamond’s music by searching for him on YouTube, or on your preferred online streaming service.