Early life

   Lovato was born in Dallas, Texas on August 20, 1992^[2] to Patrick Lovato and Dianna Hart de la Garza. She is of Mexican, Irish, and Italian descent.^[9][10][11] She has an older sister, Dallas Lovato, and a younger half sister, Madison de la Garza.^[2] Her mother was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and country music recording artist;^[12] her father moved to New Mexico after their marriage ended in 1994.^{[10][not in citation given]} Lovato earned a high school diploma through homeschooling in April 2009.^[13] She began playing piano at the age of seven.^[14]