Amos Lee

Amos Lee got his big break when Norah Jones invited him to be the opening act for her 2004 tour. Taking the stage with just an acoustic guitar, his soothingly smoky voice and a collection of the sweetest soul-folk grooves this side of Come Away with Me, Lee proved to be charmingly mellow enough to tame arenas full of rabid Norah Jones fans. In fact, he may even out-Norah Jones Norah Jones one day. Originally from Philadelphia and environs, Lee got his start as a performer while in college at the University of South Carolina. He picked up a guitar and, like James Taylor with soul, started writing songs steeped in the warm, easygoing sounds of '70s greats like Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers and John Prine. After graduating with a degree in English, Lee spent some time as an elementary school teacher before leaving the profession to wait tables, bartend and refocus his energies on music. He self-released two EPs before being picked up by Blue Note, which released his eponymous debut full-length in 2005 and Supply and Demand in 2006.