Peter Case

As a member of the Nerves, he released one of the first seven-inch singles in the punk and new wave era and set out all across the U.S.A. as an opening act for the Ramones in 1977. Following that band's end, Peter and Paul formed the Breakaways, till finally Peter launched the Plimsouls and scored a hit in the '80s with "A Million Miles Away." Case's former bands continue to enjoy rediscovery by rock's new generations, but it his solo career that his proven to be most enduring, earning him accolades and die hard fans. As a rocker turned acoustic player, Case opened a door through which others have walked ever since 1986 when his self-titled T-Bone Burnett-produced solo album earned him year end honors and his first Grammy nod. Set to a tribal-folk percussive blend of blues, country and rock n' roll, its essences pour through everything he's recorded since, from "Poor Old Tom" and "Two Angels" to "Beyond the Blues" and "Blue Distance."