Aimee Mann

Singer-songwriter Aimee Mann first had to fight to free herself from the glossy image of her post-New Wave band 'Til Tuesday, which won MTV's Best New Artist award in 1985 on the strength of its ubiquitous hit "Voices Carry." Then she was tied up in court for years by a bankrupt record label that prevented her from releasing solo records. But the musician persevered, crafting a string of records that earned her Grammy Awards and Oscar nominations along the way, notably for her work on the Paul Thomas Anderson epic "Magnolia."

"I remember playing a show at The Troubadour (in Los Angeles) where there was something wrong with the monitors and I kept hearing a really loud, weird rumbling noise onstage. I felt like I was singing so poorly that I offered to reimburse the audience. It was kind of a fun show, and people in the audience were like, 'No. It was a great show.' But the onstage sound was so weird. Nobody took me up on the offer. ... I almost like when stuff goes bad because it gives you something to work with. It may give you the opportunity for comedy or to just goof around -- to do something that's not just playing a set. I can't really think of a time where I was totally miserable. I've played shows where I was sick. But audiences are just very supportive if you come out and try your best."

— Aimee Mann