Brandy Norwood

Brandy's deep, raspy voice and hip girl-next-door appeal was like a breath of fresh air from the heavy rap, sugary pop and alternative rock music that dominated the charts in the early 1990s. She was the voice behind the monster hits, "I Wanna be Down" (1994), and "Sittin' Up in My Room" (1995), radio-friendly ballads that reflected the singer's youthful musings about first loves and heartache. Her 1998 duet with singer, Monica, "The Boy Is Mine," scored Brandy her first No. 1 hit on the Billboard charts. Far from being a one-note, Brandy nabbed the title role on the popular sitcom, "Moesha" (UPN, 1996-2001), as a trendy teenager navigating her way around high school. With an image less diva than Mariah Carey yet more urban than Whitney Houston, Brandy became a role model anyone's mother could easily approve of. After struggling with personal tragedy in the early 2000s, Brandy starred in the VH1 reality series "Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business" (2010- ), and competed on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" (2005- ). They were both testaments of the singer's talent and an inner resilience that made the performer truly unique.