Alison Krauss

Born July 23, 1971, Alison Krauss grew up in Champaign, Ill., where her parents encouraged her and her brother Viktor to play instruments at an early age. Soon after taking up the violin, Krauss discovered fiddle contests and bluegrass festivals. She earned her initial acclaim as an instrumentalist, but soon it was her voice that captivated everyone's attention. Rounder Records signed Krauss as an artist when she was 14.

As her career has progressed, she has developed her skills as a producer, arranger and finder of great songs. In addition to producing her own recordings with Union Station, Krauss has produced three albums for the Cox Family and two for Nickel Creek. She also produced Reba McEntire's 2001 single, "Sweet Music Man." After launching her recording career with the 1987 album, Too Late to Cry, Krauss introduced her band, Union Station, on the 1989 release Two Highways. She joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1993 at the age of 21.

The band made bluegrass sales history with the 1995 release of Now That I've Found You: A Collection which achieved double platinum status. That same year, Krauss won an astounding four CMA Awards, including female vocalist, horizon award, single ("When You Say Nothing at All") and vocal event ("Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart," with Shenandoah).