Canadian native Amanda Marshall is a powerhouse vocalist who was first noticed by fellow Canadian and blues rocker Jeff Healey, who took her on tour. By 1995 she released her self-titled debut solo album, which became a monster success up North. The record landed with a dull thud in the US, however. Only managing to spawn one minor chart hit ("Birmingham" hit #43 in 1996), Marshall failed to strike a chord with US audiences. Maybe Celine Dion was enough. Even the stellar song "Let It Rain" didn't resonate with Americans. Marshall's second release, "Tuesday's Child," arrived in 1999 and quickly became another success story in Canada. Not so much in the US, despite Marshall landing several of her songs in popular movies like Tin Cup and My Best Friend's Wedding. Marshall sings her heart out on every song she does, but nothing blows me away quite as much as "If I Didn't Have You." Hard to get to the end without getting goosebumps.
You've got to be kidding me! John Hiatt has never had a single song chart on the hot 100? Criminal! This legendary, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter has been writing hits for years, but they only land on the charts when other artists cover them. One of the most prolific artists of our time, he currently has 22 studio albums under his belt. Hiatt's first taste of success goes back to 1974, when his song "Sure As I'm Sittin' Here" was made into a #16 hit for Three Dog Night. Some of his other famous tunes include Jeff Healey's "Angel Eyes," which peaked at #5 in 1989 and Bonnie Raitt's version of "Thing Called Love." Hiatt's 1987 album (his eighth) was his first to chart and yielded several of his classics, including the gorgeous "Have A Little Faith In Me." The song has been covered by many, from Bon Jovi to Jewel to Joe Cocker. It's never cracked the top 100.
