Nashville-based singer/songwriter Holly Lamar got a big boost in 1999 when a song she co-wrote became one of the year's biggest country singles. "Breathe" not only won numerous honors from awards shows and industry organizations, it put Lamar's own performing career on the fast track. Signing a deal with Universal South, Lamar debuted as a solo artist with 2002's Unkissed. She continued to write for others, contributing "These Are the Days" and the hit "That's the Way" to Jo Dee Messina's 2000 LP Burn. She also dueted with Billy Bob Thornton on "Starlight Lounge," a smoky ballad from his 2001 release, Private Radio, that she co-wrote with Thornton and Dwight Yoakam. ~ Johnny Loftus