Zhang went to see her at an album signing held at Beijing's Xi'dan area in 1992.

"After talking with her, I found that we shared some mutual favorites among singer-songwriters," he recalls.

One of Ai's favorites is American songwriter and singer Suzanne Vega, who was listed in her new book among the 10 singer-songwriters who inspired her.

"One of her songs, Luka, overwhelmed me. For the first time, I realized singing could be as simple as telling stories. So I decided to write my own story," Ai recalls, referring to the creation of My 1997.

The native of Liaoning province's capital Shenyang was born into a musical family. Ai's father played several traditional Chinese instruments, and her mother was a Pingju Opera singer.

She received vocal training at age 9 and was expected to become a soprano. She became a pop singer against her parents' wishes.

Ai left home at 17 and joined the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe in Beijing, where she developed a passion for Western pop and rock.

Her second album, Story of Yanfen Street, and third album, Chasing the Moon, were released by Sony Music Entertainment Japan, which brought the singer-songwriter onto the international stage.

She worked with China-born Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa in Japan in 1995. They became friends during the collaboration and, following Ozawa's suggestion, Ai moved to New York City in 1997.