Natalie Merchant got her start at age 17 as the lead singer of the folk-pop outfit 10,000 Maniacs. Her silken voice and outspoken social awareness wooed music fans and cemented her status as one of the day's most astute and captivating artists. Though 10,000 Maniacs achieved a level of critical success as a major-label act in the mid-80's, Merchant decided to go it alone in 1994. Since then her popularity... see more