Gavin DeGraw

Like his contemporary and former Berklee College of Music classmate John Mayer, Gavin DeGraw was a popular singer-songwriter who scored highly in the late 2000s with a string of earnest pop-rock hits, including his signature tune, "I Don't Wanna," which became the theme song for the long-running teen drama "One Tree Hill" (The WB, 2003-12). Blessed with a knack for introspective lyrics and a voice that dripped with blue-eyed soul, DeGraw broke into the Top 20 with his 2003 debut, Chariot, but struggled to match its double-platinum success with subsequent releases. A shift from his longstanding home with J Records to RCA in 2011 generated his fourth album, Sweeter and first Top 10 record since his debut. DeGraw shrewdly promoted his return to the charts with a variety of appearances, including a turn on the popular "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2005- ), which did much to extend his relevancy in the ever-shifting music business and underscore his versatility as a pop performer.