Stevie Wonder, Teena Marie, and Sheena Easton inspired R&B singer Paula Campbell to keep her distance from the drug hustlers and other negative influences infiltrating her Baltimore, Maryland neighborhood and focus on her talents. Studying the liner notes of every album she bought, Campbell collected the names of every record label's A&R rep and cold-called them looking to get signed. After winning talent shows and appearing in local showcases, Campbell released the independent single "How Does It Feel?," which spent eight weeks at the top of local station WERQ's playlist. Her debut album, Who Got Next?, was independently released in 2004. A year later, she signed a major-label deal with Sony. ~ David Jeffries