Beloved neo-soul singer Conya Doss built her dedicated if small following the hard way. She got her start in the music industry alongside childhood friend Stacy Richardson, with whom she formed the singing duo Lyrik. The duo eventually split, though, and Doss made her independently released first full-length recording, A Poem About Ms. Doss, in 2002. That promising debut was followed by Just Because (2004), Love Rain Down (2006), Still (2008), and Blü Transition (2010) -- all of which were also released independently. Because she didn't have the benefit of major-label promotion, Doss built her audience largely through live performances and the resulting word of mouth. ~ Jason Birchmeier