Emerson Lee Hart II, born July 21, 1969, in Washington, Pennsylvania, is a songwriter, vocalist, producer, and guitarist best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band Tonic, whose 1996 debut Lemon Parade produced the hits "Open Up Your Eyes" and "If You Could Only See". Subsequent releases include You Wanted More (1999) and Head on Straight (2002), earning two Grammy nominations in 2003. In 2007, Hart signed with EMI/Manhattan Records and released his solo debut Cigarettes and Gasoline (2007), featuring the single "If You're Gonna Leave". His follow-up solo albums, Beauty in Disrepair (2014) and 32 Thousand Days (2019), continued to showcase his songwriting. He also co‑wrote the NBC drama American Dreams theme "Generation" and the Ingram Hill hit "Almost Perfect".
