Contains alphabetically arranged entries that provide biographical information about over eighty contemporary musicians and groups; each with a critical essay about the artist or band's work, discographies, and listings of articles about the performer/s.

Content includes: John Abercrombie -- All Saints -- Laurie Anderson -- Gene Autry -- LaVern Baker -- Beastie Boys -- Dock Boggs -- Brooks & Dunn -- Garth Brooks -- Foxy Brown -- Deana Carter -- Mary Chapin-Carpenter -- Dick Clark -- Randy Crawford -- Damon and Naomi -- Marlene Dietrich -- Celine Dion -- DMX -- Jimmy Driftwood -- Dru Hill -- Jermaine Dupri -- Antonin Dvorak -- Sleepy John Estes -- Faith Evans -- Milton Gabler -- Garbage -- Erroll Garner -- Golden Gate Quartet -- Nina Hagen -- Herbie Hancock -- Lauryn Hill -- Bruces Hornsby -- Whitney Houston -- J. Geils Band -- Alan Jackson -- Jewel -- Kiss -- Mark Knopfler -- Kd Lang -- Nils Lofgren -- Nick Lowe -- Little Willie John -- Martha and the Vandellas -- Pietro Mascagni -- Tommy McClennan -- Clyde McPhatter -- memphis Jug Band -- Memphis Minnie -- Natalie Merchant -- Morcheeba -- Fats Navarro -- 'N Sync -- Stevie Nicks -- Danilo Perez -- Phish -- The Platters -- Lloyd Price -- Giacomo Puccini -- Puff Daddy -- Rammstein -- Maurice Ravel -- Joshua Redman -- R.E.M. -- Chris Rice -- Run DMC -- Pee Wee Russell -- Camille Saint-Saens -- Erik Satie -- Peggy Seeger -- Bruce Springsteen -- Richard Strauss -- Supertramp -- Tampa Red -- James Taylor -- Third Eye Blind -- Pam Tillis -- Chucho Valdes -- Van Halen -- Robbie Williams -- and Trisha Yearwood.