Diana Hubbard was born in London, the daughter of L. Ron Hubbard, the leader of Scientology, a New religious movement often characterized as a cult.[1] She was born Diana Meredith DeWolf Hubbard on September 24, 1952, to L. Ron Hubbard and his third wife, Mary Sue Hubbard, their first child together[2][3] She composed sonatas for piano at age 6.[4][5] In her early years as a teenager, she lived at Scientology's United Kingdom headquarters, Saint Hill Manor, along with her brother, Quentin Hubbard.[6] She attended the Royal Academy, where she took courses in ballet and music.[1][5][citation needed] At the age of 15, she left the Royal Academy, in order to serve within the Scientology organization and assist her father.[4] During the bulk of her teenage years, she lived on her father's yacht, located in the Mediterranean.[1] By age 16, she rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander within the Sea Org, a Scientology managerial and paramilitary organization.[2][3] She became a spokesperson for the Church of Scientology within the United States in 1969.[5] In 1979, Hubbard lived with her husband audiophile Jonathan Horwich and her daughter Roanne, in Clearwater, Florida.[4][5] In 1980, she served as an executive within the Church of Scientology,[1] and as of 2001 she maintained a leadership position within the organization.[7]
Production
The album was produced by an independent label, Waterhouse Records 8.[1] Waterhouse Records was based in Minnesota,[8] and at the time of the album's release it was available by mail order from Minneapolis.[1] It includes performances from musicians Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke – both Scientologists.[9] Other noteworthy contributors include Patrick Moraz and Denny Seiwell.[10] Musical artist Jimmie Spheeris persuaded Hubbard to record the album, and also served as its executive producer.[4] The string portions were written by David Campbell.[4]
Hubbard wrote all of the music for the album,[9] with contributors utilizing instruments including synthesizers, bass, woodwinds, strings, and a bouzouki.[1] She plays piano on the album.[1] Most of the pieces on the album are of three to four minutes in duration.[1] Wayne Isaak served as the Waterhouse Records publicist for the album.[8] In publicity for the album, marketing compared Hubbard's musical writing style to that of Erik Satie.[1] The album cover was marketed with a sticker on the outside wrapping advertising the fact that it was endorsed by Stanley Clarke.[9]
Reception
The album received poor critical reception. In a review of the album for The Harvard Crimson, Thomas M. Levenson wrote, "Hubbard's music does not, as a result, offend the listener. It's not execrable. It is just extraordinarily dull. As a pianist/composer, Hubbard sounds like Bruckner rewritten for the dentist's office."[9] Don Lewis reviewed the album for The Milwaukee Journal, and commented, "It's peaceful, attractive music, even though, after a while, it sounds like many of Miss Hubbard's compositions are swatches from the same bolt of cloth."[1]
Billboard highlighted the album in its column, "Billboard's Top Album Picks", in the section "First Time Around".[10]Billboard described the album as "a light classics pop LP" and noted, "The music is mostly soft and pretty drawing from many ethnic sources."[10] The Sarasota Herald-Tribune described the album as "an instrumental with a medieval quality in the all-encompassing and sometimes mysterious sound of strings, piano and rhythm section. The repetitive phrasing and rolling melody are synthesized tone and nuance."[5] The St. Petersburg Times described Hubbard's piano compositions as "fresh, haunting melodies".[4]
"Rose Coloured Lights" was issued as a single on Waterhouse 15003 and hit #40 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1980.[11]
