Landon Pigg

Despite the unfortunate handicap of his surname, Nashville lite rocker Landon Pigg represents the essence of the 2008 musical marketplace -- a combination of self-made determination and modern commercial savvy. Using an Internet fan base to promote his 2006 debut, he landed a television placement ("Grey's Anatomy," naturally) and marketplace visibility (by partnering with Microsoft's Zune and De Beers' "A Diamond Is Forever"). Just like that, Pigg landed a big record deal and millions of devoted fans. The punchline? All this happened before he'd ever played a live gig.