By Rob. Walton

WHO IS SHE?:

The bluesy, piano-playing belter has been described as Janis Joplin backed by Elton John. The title cut of her new CD Leave the Light On is the ubiquitous and uncharacteristically edgy new theme for CBS daytime TV promos.

WHAT HAS SHE DONE?:

Beth has had more breaks than Jackie Chan's bones. As a teen, she walked away after winning Star Search to become a hippie street musician, and she was soon "re-discovered" by Cyndi Lauper's manager. She toured with Lollapalooza and starred as Janis Joplin on the stage. After two CDs and the 1999 hit single L.A. Song, she was dropped by her record company due in part to a drinking problem.

WHY DO WE CARE?:

Like Drew Barrymore before her, this 31-year-old 5'9" powerhouse with dirty green eyes lived hard young, but cleaned herself up to come out hot and on top.

Playboy.com: As a piano-playing singer, how do you distinguish yourself from the likes of Alicia Keys, Vanessa Carlton, Sarah McLachlan and Tori Amos?

Beth Hart: Alicia is more R&B. Tori does her thing which is totally influenced by Kate Bush's style. I'm way more aggressive. It's a more blues, rockin', storytelling kind of vibe.

PB: Critics often compare you to Janis Joplin. One record company exec described you as "Janis Joplin accompanied by Elton John."

BH: It's killer to be compared to anybody who's done some shit like that. I think I'm compared to her because I have a scratchy voice. Melissa Etheridge has been compared to Janis a lot, too. Any singer with a scratchy voice always gets compared to Janis.

PB: You attended L.A.'s High School for the Performing Arts on a vocal/cello scholarship. How old were you when you got into music?

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photo: Micah Smith