American singer-songwriter and activist Emily Saliers was BOTD in 1963. Born in New Haven, Connecticut to a middle-class family, she was raised in Decatur, Georgia. She formed a folk duo with Amy Ray in high school, performing together in talent shows and bars. After briefly studying at Tulane University, she followed Ray to Emory University where they formed Indigo Girls, producing their first album Strange Fire in 1987. Their first major-label release, Indigo Girls, was released in 1988 to critical and commercial success, winning a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Further success followed with their albums Nomads Indians Saints, Rites of Passage and Swamp Ophelia, the latter charting at No 9 on the Billboard Top 100 chart. After moving to Hollywood Records in 2006, they released one studio album Despite Our Differences, before their contract was terminated. Their remaining albums were released independently via their own label IG Recordings. Both openly lesbian, Saliers and Ray have been vocal supporters of women’s LGBTQ rights, environmental activism and abolishing the death penalty. They made musical cameos in the lesbian-themed road movie Boys on the Side, Ellen DeGeneres’ sitcom Ellen and Joey Soloway‘s trans-themed TV drama Transparent. Their career experienced a major revival when their 1992 single Closer to Fine was wittily featured in the 2023 film Barbie, introducing their music to a new generation of fans. Saliers married her long term partner (and former tour manager) Tristin Chipman in 2013 with whom she has a daughter.