Valerie June

With coiled dreadlocks that spill down her back, Valerie June doesn't look like a purveyor of country-folk ballads. Much to audiences' surprise, however, she performs delicate folk pieces with a country twang - sometimes covering folk classics and sometimes performing her own material. The Tennessee native toured with her husband in the duo Bella Sun at the age of 19, but once their marriage dissolved, the singer/songwriter hitchhiked around the US, playing at coffee shops, bars and street corners for tips. After returning to the South in 2006, Valerie June decided to release a solo album and has since had an Emmy-winning documentary made about her rise to success.