Ani DiFranco is a self-made success who has broken all barriers standing in her way – instead of waiting for a recording company to offer her a contract, she founded her own label Righteous Babe. Instead of catering to the mainstream’s lyrical expectations, she wrote about sensitive subjects – including rape and abortion – that many artists are afraid to touch. And, in going against convention, DiFranco has built a successful career and a loyal fan base that appreciates her honesty and straightforwardness.

A native of Buffalo, New York, DiFranco’s love affair with music began early in her girlhood. When she was a mere nine-years-old, the already accomplished guitarist performed at her local coffeehouse – thrilling the audience with her own version of some of the Beatles’ greatest hits. At 14, she started penning her own songs and in the ensuing five years would write a catalog of 100 songs. With her guitar in hand, DiFranco made the leap to New York City, the perfect setting for a self-made folk singer, when she was 19.

In 1990, DiFranco started her own recording label, Righteous Babe. The young singer was quickly becoming popular nationwide, due in large part to another unconventional marketing method: word-of-mouth. In 1992, DiFranco released the album “Imperfectly” and the following year released “Puddle Dive.” The albums gained her plenty of interest from industry insiders, and the buzz was some major labels wanted to sign the independent singer. But, true to herself, DiFranco stuck with her Righteous Babe label.

DiFranco toured incessantly when she wasn’t recording, and Ani DiFranco concert tickets started selling surprisingly fast. In 1994, she released “Out of Range,” but it was 1995’s “Not a Pretty Girl” that claimed national attention and plenty of praise. She had a steady fan base that, in part, helped her clinch a spot in the Billboard Top 100 with her 1996 album “Dilate.”

In the ensuing decade, DiFranco has gone on to release numerous albums including “Little Plastic Castle” (1998), “Swing Set” (2000), and “Knuckle Down” (2005). Her latest effort, “Reprieve,” is due out in July 2006.