Legendary singer, songwriter and lead vocalist of the British rock band, Queen, Frederick Bulsara adopted the name Freddie Mercury which aptly suits his on-stage vibrant and exuberant persona. A four-octave vocal range musician, Mercury owned every stage he set foot on as much with his vivid performance as with his superhuman voice modulation.
Joan Jett, also known as The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, is the frontwoman of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, best known for their rendition of the Arrows song I Love Rock 'n Roll, which topped the Billboard Hot 100. Jett also released the hit Cherry Bomb with the Runaways.
A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees is known for his versatility. Barry ranks second on the Guinness World Records list of successful songwriters and has gifted his fans cult classics of pop/disco music of the 1960s and 1970s, such as Stayin’ Alive.
One of the best-known faces of Irish alternative rock, Dolores O’Riordan headed the band The Cranberries. Known for her international chartbusters such as Zombie, she later slipped into depression and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She died of accidental drowning due to intoxication at age 46 and was posthumously nominated for a Grammy.
Northern Irish singer, Van Morrison, garnered recognition in the 1960s while playing with the band, Them, and then later as a solo singer with the 1967 song Brown Eyed Girl. Over the years, he has released more than 40 albums. Astral Weeks, Moondance, Wavelength, Down the Road and Keep It Simple are some of his acclaimed and commercially successful albums.
Dolores O'Riordan went from being a church singer to becoming the lead vocalist of the Irish alternative rock band The Cranberries and a rock icon of the 1990s. She stunned her fans with her death as a result of accidental drowning due to intoxication at age 46.
Richard Marx is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. In 1987, his self-titled debut album was certified triple-platinum, following which he went on to work on several chart-busting hits. As a songwriter, Marx worked on Luther Vandross' Dance with My Father, which earned him the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2004.
Aimee Mann is an American singer and songwriter whose song Save Me, which she recorded for the soundtrack of the film Magnolia, earned her a Grammy Award and Academy Award nomination. Apart from being a singer and songwriter, Aimee Mann has also made several appearances on film and television. She also appears on the albums of other artists.
With songs that are a blend of contemporary folk-rock and traditional storytelling, Scottish singer-songwriter Amy Macdonald sold 3 million copies of her debut album worldwide. Known for hits such as This Is the Life, she is a self-taught musician and began her career singing at pubs and cafes in her teens.
Known for his uncanny resemblance to his father, legendary musician and former member of The Beatles Paul McCartney, James McCartney is a talented musician in his own right. Though he has played in some of his father’s tracks and has also released his own music, he has mostly been away from the limelight.
English singer Shaun Ryder, best known for his association with Happy Mondays and Black Grape, once confessed to learning the alphabet at age 26. While he suffered from ADHD and alopecia, he was also a heroin addict for over two decades and eventually overcame his addiction through cycling.
Once described as “the voice of God,” Scottish singer Elizabeth Fraser gained fame as part of the dream pop band Cocteau Twins, known for its obscure lyrics and foreign words which were inserted in the songs because they sounded good. Sexually abused by her family members, she left home at 16
Nina Persson soared to fame as the lead vocalist of the globally renowned Swedish band The Cardigans. Known for chartbusters such as Lovefool and Erase and Rewind, she interestingly aspired to be an artist instead of a musician in her younger days. She is also a cervical cancer survivor.
Russian rock-musician Zemfira has made her mark as a singer in Russia and other former Soviet republics with studio-albums like Zemfira and Forgive Me My Love, and hit singles like You Want? Forgive Me My Love became the best-selling album of Zemfira with over 1,500,000 copies sold, while overall till date Zemfira has sold over 3 million records.
Norwegian heavy metal singer Kristoffer Rygg has sung using various stage names, such as Trickster G. Rex and God Head. He was 16 when he began singing for the black metal and experimental electronica band Ulver. He has also been associated with the metal bands Arcturus and Borknagar.
Irish singer Dickie Rock soared to fame with his chartbusting hits for the Miami Showband. He also contested for Ireland on Eurovision. He mesmerized Irish listeners with his deep tenor voice and his hits such as There’s Always Me. He later revealed that his hearing difficulties had made him retire from music.
Darryl Cotton was an Australian singer, songwriter, actor, and television presenter. A founding member of a now-defunct rock group named Zoot, Cotton also had a successful solo career. After establishing himself as a singer-songwriter, he went on to appear in TV shows like The Young Doctors. Cotton is also credited with forming the popular rock band Burns Cotton & Morris.
David Laurence Rix, or Lonnie Lee, has had a six-decade-long career in music and is known for his pioneering work in the field of rockabilly music. He is also known for his appearances on the show Six O'Clock Rock and for his chartbusting tracks such as I Found a New Love.