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Hailing from the suburbs of Chicago, the punk-pop outfit Plain White T's began taking shape in 1997, a full ten years before the acoustic ballad "Hey There Delilah" made them Grammy-nominated stars. Lead singer Tom Higgenson was originally fascinated with the drums, having served as the percussionist for various rock bands during high school. One such band was Harvey's Daughter, whose lineup also featured bass player Ken Fletcher. Although the group disbanded, the two remained friends and quickly launched a different band, with Higgenson taking over lead duties as songwriter and singer. Drummer Dave Tirio also joined the new lineup, bringing Plain White T's to fruition during the fall of 1997. Performances in various Chicago clubs earned the band a small but devout following. In the summer of 1999, Higgenson was nearly killed in a car accident; the crash resulted in a ruptured kidney and lacerated lung. However, the event also left him with a newfound dedication to songwriting, and th...