Danielle Brisebois

Danielle Brisebois portrayed Stephanie Mills across the popular 1970s sitcoms All in the Family and Archie Bunker's Place, yet the singer and songwriter has long since outgrown the wholesome child character she once embodied. Best recognized for her contribution to the As Good As It Gets soundtrack, she delivers breezy yet cathartic vocals that echo those of Alanis Morissette. Far from innocent, Brisebois channels raw intensity, fierce longings, and pointed outrage, qualities that defined her first album Arrive All Over You. Issued in 1994—one year before Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill—the record was overshadowed by lingering grunge and the rising wave of R&B acts. Though it featured extensive input from singer, producer, and songwriter Gregg Alexander, Arrive All Over You generated only modest attention in Europe. Four years afterward she continued her partnership with Alexander, this time supplying keyboards for his alterna-pop/rock outfit the New Radicals. The group issued a single multi-platinum album, Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too, before sudden fame prompted Alexander to retreat into production and nudged Brisebois back toward solo work. Re-teaming with Alexander, she unveiled her second album, Portable Life, in 1999.