William Alexander Chilton was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer best known as the lead singer of the Box Tops and Big Star. Chilton's early commercial success in the 1960s as a teen vocalist for the Box Tops was never repeated in later years with Big Star and in his subsequent indie music solo career on small labels, but he drew an intense following among indie and alternative music musicians. He is frequently cited as a seminal influence by influential rock artists and bands, some of whose testimonials appeared in the 2012 documentary Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me.
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Utopia. He is known for his sophisticated and often unorthodox music, his occasionally lavish stage shows, and his later experiments with interactive entertainment. He also produced music videos and was an early adopter and promoter of various computer technologies, such as using the Internet as a means of music distribution in the late 1990s.
Lewis Allan Reed was an American musician, singer, songwriter and poet. He was the guitarist, singer and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. The Velvet Underground was not a commercial success during its existence, but became regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of underground and alternative rock music. Reed's distinctive deadpan voice, poetic and transgressive lyrics, and experimental guitar playing were trademarks throughout his long career.
Vincent Grant Gill is an American country singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a vocalist and musician have placed him in high demand as a guest vocalist and a duet partner.
Jason Thomas Mraz is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. In 2002 he released his debut studio album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the single 'The Remedy ' that reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, his first top-40 hit in the US. His second album, Mr. A-Z, released in 2005, peaked at number 5 on the Billboard 200 and sold over 100,000 copies in the US. In 2008 Mraz released his third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. It debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and was an international commercial success primarily due to the hit 'I'm Yours'. The song peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving him his first top ten single, spent a then-record 76 weeks on the Hot 100, and was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2019. His fourth album, Love Is a Four Letter Word, peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200, his highest-charting album to date.
Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, known as Sting, is an English musician and actor. He was the principal songwriter, lead singer, and bassist for new wave rock band the Police from 1977 to 1984. He launched a solo career in 1985, and has included elements of rock, jazz, reggae, classical, new-age, and worldbeat in his music.
Stephen Lawrence Winwood is an English singer, songwriter, and musician whose genres include blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Though primarily a vocalist and keyboard player, Winwood proficiently plays other instruments, including drums, mandolin, guitars, bass, and saxophone.
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer and songwriter known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz.
Lonnie McIntosh, known as Lonnie Mack, was an American singer-guitarist. He performed and recorded in a broad range of popular genres, including roots-rock, blues, R&B, country, gospel, bluegrass, and soul. He is most widely recognized, however, as an influential pioneer of blues-rock music and rock guitar melodic soloing.
Igor Yuryevich Nikolayev is a Russian composer, singer and song-writer.
Paul Melvyn Carrack is an English singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist who has recorded as both a solo artist and as a member of several popular bands. The BBC dubbed Carrack 'The Man with the Golden Voice', while Record Collector remarked: 'If vocal talent equalled financial success, Paul Carrack would be a bigger name than legends such as Phil Collins or Elton John.'
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a record deal with XL Recordings. In 2007, she received the Brit Awards Critics' Choice Award and won the BBC Sound of 2008 poll. Her debut album, 19, was released in 2008. It is certified 8× platinum in the UK and triple platinum in the US. The album contains her first song, 'Hometown Glory', written when she was just 16, which is based on her home suburb of West Norwood in London. An appearance she made on Saturday Night Live in late 2008 boosted her career in the US. At the 2009 Grammy Awards, Adele won the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Gavin Shane DeGraw is an American singer-songwriter. DeGraw rose to fame with his song 'I Don't Want to Be' from his debut album Chariot (2003); the song became the main theme song for the The WB drama series One Tree Hill. Other notable singles from his debut album 'Chariot' and 'Follow Through'. His second album, Gavin DeGraw, was released in 2008 and included the top-20 single 'In Love with a Girl'. In 2009, DeGraw released his third album, Free. His fourth album, Sweeter (2011), spawned the hit single 'Not Over You' along with 'Soldier' and 'Sweeter'. In 2013, DeGraw released Make a Move, and Something Worth Saving followed in September 2016.
John Clayton Mayer is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 with Clay Cook. Together, they formed a short-lived two-man band called Lo-Fi Masters. After their split, Mayer continued to play local clubs, refining his skills and gaining a following. After his appearance at a 2001 South by Southwest Festival, he was signed to Aware Records, and eventually to Columbia Records, which released his first extended play Inside Wants Out. His following two studio albums—Room for Squares (2001) and Heavier Things (2003)—performed well commercially, achieving multi-platinum status. In 2003, he won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for his single 'Your Body Is a Wonderland'.