Duffy

When little Aimee Anne Duffy's father cued up a VHS tape with archaic episodes of the Brit music showcase program Ready Steady Go!, the grainy performances of the Beatles and Stones left an indelible impression. By the time she was 15, she was singing in bands herself, and at 23 she had truncated her name, buddied up to Suede guitarist Bernard Butler and signed to A&M. She instantly captured the manic adoration of the British media, who heralded the Welsh singer as the most recent in a line of playful, soul-inspired pop singers like Amy Winehouse. Her music certainly hitches itself to the Winehouse wagon with its ice-cold '60s grooves and Dusty Springfield influence, but Duffy's squeaky-clean image makes her a curious foil.