Chariot

This prodigiously talented piano man came out of the New York club scene with a brash, rocking sound that drew obvious comparisons to Billy Joel and Elton John, but some more contemporary touches also brought peers like Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Buckley and J label-mates Maroon 5 to mind. It’s an artful blend - leavened with a little classic R&B - that clicked commercially, as Gavin’s 2003 debut album Chariot went Platinum and spawned several hit singles including the Top Ten hit (and One Tree Hill theme song) I Don’t Want to Be.