Natalie Merchant is an alt-rock singer-songwriter who fronted the band 10,000 Maniacs for seven albums before embarking on a successful solo career in 1995. ∙ Along with Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, and other superstars, she was featured at 1995’s legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame opening gala concert. ∙ Merchant wrote and produced her introspective 1995 debut, <i>Tigerlily</i>, which was certified five-times Platinum. ∙ “Carnival,” the lead single from <i>Tigerlily</i>, spent 39 weeks on <i>Billboard</i>’s Hot 100 chart before peaking at No. 10, making it her first (and only) Top 10 single. ∙ Lilith Fair cofounder Sarah McLachlan asked Merchant to coheadline the hugely successful, all-female touring festival in 1998. ∙ The Royal Shakespeare Company commissioned Merchant, along with avant-garde British composer Gavin Bryars and others, to set Shakespeare’s sonnets to music in 2006. ∙ <i>Leave Your Sleep</i>, her 2010 concept record, yielded Merchant her first No. 1 LP when it debuted atop <i>Billboard</i>’s Americana/Folk Albums chart. ∙ In 2018, she began a four-year term as artist-in-residence with the Commission on Economic Opportunity in New York, teaching music to disadvantaged children.