Laura Pausini

By 2004, roughly a decade after she made her recording debut at the age of 18, Laura Pausini had sold over 25 million albums worldwide, quite an impressive feat for someone who'd never really broken into the lucrative English-language market. The Italian singer (born May 16, 1974) began her career at a young age, making her live debut at only age 12. Her singing didn't really take off until 1993, however, when she made her self-titled debut and scored a big hit with "La Solitudine." A year later -- in a practice that would come to define her career and compound her success -- she released a Spanish version of her debut, including a version of her breakthrough hit, titled accordingly as "Lo Soledad." Further albums followed for Pausini -- Laura (1995), Le Cose Che Vivi/Las Cosas Que Vives (1996), La Mia Risposta/Mi Respuesta (1998), Tra Te E Il Mare/Entre Tu Y Mil Mares (2000) -- each of them finding mass success in their respective markets. During these formative years, Pausini enjoyed her fame, for instance singing for Pope John Paul Ii at a special Vatican Christmas mass as well as at Barbra Streisand's birthday party in 1998, and embarking on sold-out world tours.