Brian Vander Ark

Michigan native Brian Vander Ark is best known as the frontman for the Verve Pipe, which scored a chart-topping modern rock single in 1997 with "The Freshmen." The track also earned the band an ASCAP Pop Award. A veteran songwriter and solo artist in his own right, Vander Ark began playing guitar at age eight; by the age of 16, he'd already begun penning songs. Although still underage, he honed his skills playing nightly one-hour sets in Holiday Inn bars, a modest gig that earned him $275 weekly. He joined the U.S. Army at the age of 18 and, upon his release, returned to Holid...