Shawn Colvin

Shawn Colvin is one of the best -- and was one of the first -- of the crop of female singer-songwriters melding folky introspection with pop-rock hooks. She has found success in both adult alternative and contemporary realms. This self-taught guitarist tried her hand in hard-rock bands and Western swing before settling into a singer-songwriter act. A live cassette made its way to a Sony A&R person, who signed Colvin in 1988. Her debut, Steady On, won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Recording. Subsequent releases appealed to the folk crowd, but also made light noise in mainstream pop and adult contemporary radio formats. A Few Small Repairs, from 1996, was inspired by the singer's divorce, and the song "Sunny Came Home" propelled the album to platinum status. Colvin spent the start of the new millennium singing with the likes of Sting, Bela Fleck, James Taylor, Shawn Mullins and Edwin McCain on various projects. In 2004, she released Polaroids: A Greatest Hits Collection. Two years later, Colvin switched to the Nonesuch label, and she delivered These Four Walls and Live in 2009.