French R&B diva Nâdiya traded a career as a track and field champion for pop music success, scoring a breakthrough hit in 2004 with "Parle-Moi." Born Nâdiya Zighem in Tours, France, on June 19, 1973, she was the product of a large Algerian family that also produced brother Kader, a future French boxing champion. In 1989 she was ranked number one in the nation in 800-meter running, but at age 20 she retired from athletics to pursue a career in music. The LP 16/9 spent 93 non-consecutive weeks on the charts thanks to the international hit "Et C'est Parti...," a collaboration with rapper Smartzee. ~ Jason Ankeny