Alana Davis

A cover of Ani DiFranco's "32 Flavors" put this talented singer on the map, and she's also got a knack for writing her own catchy soul-folk tunes. But Davis suffered a setback in 2001 when Elektra failed to promote her second release, Fortune Cookies -- mainly because Davis hadn't gone R&B enough for the label's tastes. Rather than knuckle under to racist industry pressures, Davis walked away from the contract. She decided to follow her muse, starting her own label, Tigress Records, and releasing her third album, Surrender Dorothy, in 2005.