Ron Sexsmith

With clever, understated lyrical turns and thick vibrato, Ron Sexsmith is distinctive among the ocean of guy-with-guitar folk crooners. Raised in St. Catharines, Ontario, he began his first band at 14 and played local bars as "The One-Man Jukebox," so-named for his impressive repertoire of covers. After moving to Toronto and fronting the Uncool, Sexsmith gained notoriety with the release of his first solo effort, Grand Opera Lane, in 1991. This caught the attention of Interscope, who released a self-titled sophomore LP in 1995. Sexsmith came to an international audience with this record, due in no small part to Elvis Costello, who appeared clutching it on the cover of Mojo. Though he's never enjoyed landslide popularity, Sexsmith's credibility among critics and fellow musicians has earned him a reputation as a "songwriter's songwriter."