Born in Anchorage, KY, Joan Osborne sang occasionally as a child, but had given up on her voice after going to NYU's film school. At a bar on open-mic night, she decided to try a Billie Holiday song and eventually became a regular at the club's open-mic jam sessions. Osborne formed a band from the players, and began touring around the New York area. Forming her own Womanly Hips label, she released the live album Soul Show in 1992. After the 1994 EP Blue Million Miles, she signed a contract with Mercury. Released in 1995, Osborne's major-label debut Relish hit the Top Ten and achieved triple-platinum status. She was awarded with the album of the year by Entertainment Weekly, appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone and gained seven Grammy nominations in 1996.