Proof that talent sometimes does run in the family: Pam Tillis, the daughter of country star Mel Tillis, made her professional debut at age eight on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. She developed her range playing in a college jug band, a folk duo and a Californian jazz/rock outfit called Freelight in the late '70s. Upon returning to Nashville, Tillis focused on songwriting, and her compositions got picked up by the likes of Gloria Gaynor and Chaka Khan, but since 1981 she's put just as much emphasis on her own recording career, which has earned her hit singles and well-deserved accolades.