With the success of such genre-busting artists as Beck, it suddenly became "okay" to let many musical styles seep into your sound -- rap, funk, punk, folk, blues, folk, and so on. 2001 saw the self-titled debut release from Leroy, and upon first listen, it's obvious that he's been inspired by Beck's melting-pot rock style. A native of Spokane, WA, Leroy was turned on to the classic rock sounds of Santana, Jimi Hendrix, and Elton John at an early age via his parents' record collection. With dreams of rock stardom blossoming after picking up the guitar, he relocated to Los Angeles in the early '90s. After years of paying dues playing clubs and working dead-end jobs, Leroy was signed to Hollywood in 1999. Before the release of his 2001 self-titled debut, his songs had already popped up in movies (10 Things I Hate About You) and TV shows (Felicity). ~ Greg Prato