Country music legend George Jones, who died today at 81, made a career out of turning hard living into heartbreaking songs. He could pull and bend notes until they made listeners hurt. In 2010, Jones told NPR's Melissa Block, "I try to live the song during that three minutes."

Nicknamed the Mayor of Saint Paul, Martin Devaney has been a staple of the Twin Cities music scene for years. He started with local hip-hop group Heiruspecs before returning to his roots as a jazz saxophonist with Roma di Luna.