Sarah Buxton

Grew up in Lawrence, Kan., and became actively involved in music as a child by learning piano, playing flute and joining a children's choir.
As she learned more about music, she became interested in songwriters and began writing poetry.
After graduation, she met one of her musical idols, Stevie Nicks, who encouraged her to pursue music, which meant a move to Nashville.
Buxton enrolled at Nashville's Belmont University and started a Southern rock band called Stoik Oak, which toured the region for three years.
After an 18-month engagement, she married the band's guitarist when she was 22. However, they divorced shortly afterwards.
She also felt discouraged about finding a place for her unique-sounding voice in the music business but found further encouragement from one of her friends, John Rich of Big & Rich.
She asked her publisher to set up some co-writing sessions, and she became more confident in her approach to singing and songwriting.
Keith Urban sang one of the songs she wrote, "Stupid Boy," for his 2006 album, Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing.