North Carolina

Eric Church is a country music singer and songwriter who released his third studio album, Chief on July 26, 2011, debuting at #1 on both Top Country Albums and the Billboard 200. The Homeboy Songfacts explains that the album's title refers to a nickname of not only the singer's grandfather, but also Church's own pet name among friends and family. Eric grew up in Granite Falls, N.C., in an area known as one of the world's furniture capitals.

Read more about Eric Church on Last.fm.

North Carolina band that started in August of 2003, The Verdict is comprised of the guitar and vocals of Chandler Martin (One Six Conspiracy), Kurt Leuschner (Near the Never, The Paris Centerfold, One Six Conspiracy) on bass, Emily Moore with keyboard/guitar/backing vocals (Go, Lovely Rose) and Jason Howie (Near the Never) on drums.

Lou Donaldson (born 1926) is a jazz alto saxophonist, born in Badin, North Carolina. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker's improvisational approach. His first recordings were with bop emissaries Milt Jackson and Thelonious Monk in 1952, and lead several small groups with other jazz luminaries such as trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist Horace Silver and the indomitable skinsman, Art Blakey.