Christina Perri

Christina Perri's story is the stuff of the American Dream -- or, at least, the 21st century pop star version of the American Dream. The Philadelphia-bred singer-songwriter took off for Los Angeles with just her guitar and a suitcase. One day she was a waitress, slinging hash to the (would-be) rich and famous, and the next, the unsigned 23-year-old's song "Jar of Hearts" had made its way onto So You Think You Can Dance. Of course, there's more to the story than that, including a stint playing gofer for her brother's band, a year at Philadelphia's prestigious University of the Arts, a failed marriage and a gig as an executive producer at her own production company (founded with her then-husband). Bygones! Nowadays, Perri has left all that in the dust to become a James Blunt opener and Atlantic Records-signed up-and-comer who's in the process of recording her debut album (following 2010's well-received Ocean Way Sessions EP).