Michelle Branch's career took off while she was still a teenager, when her guitar-driven pop-rock made her one of the defining young voices of early-2000s radio. Born July 2, 1983, in Sedona, Arizona, she taught herself guitar and began writing songs as a teen, signing with Maverick Records and releasing her major-label debut at just 18.

That debut, The Spirit Room (2001), went platinum and produced the breakout hits "Everywhere," "All You Wanted," and "Goodbye to You," establishing Branch as a singer-songwriter who paired confessional lyrics with rock-leaning hooks. In 2003, she won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "The Game of Love," her chart-topping collaboration with Santana.