Katie Melua

Though Katie Melua isn't a household name in the U.S., the award-winning singer and songwriter has become a massive pop star in the U.K. and Europe, scoring with such hits as "Closest Thing to Crazy" and "Nine Million Bicycles." Born in 1984 in Soviet Georgia, not long before civil war tore the country apart, Melua and her family relocated to Northern Ireland, then London, where the youngster started to exhibit a precocious talent for music. While attending the London School for Performing Arts & Technology, she was spotted by one Mike Batt. The producer and songwriter helped shape Melua into a chanteuse filtering adult-alternative pop through blues, jazz and classic Tin Pan Alley. Wise beyond her years, the singer has that rare talent of sounding both sultry and innocent, sassy as well as sensitive. In addition to releasing a handful of albums since her 2003 debut, Call off the Search, Melua has been active in the worlds of charity and fashion. In 2007, her version of the pop standard "What a Wonderful World" (which features Melua singing along with a recording of the late Eva Cassidy) debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart. All the proceeds went to the Red Cross.