With the runaway success of her third album, WHO I AM, in 2002, Beverley Knight became one of the most important figures in the U.K. R&B scene. Though she's often compared to the U.S. neo-soul artists Jill Scott and Angie Stone, Knight looked back to the aesthetics of '60s and '70s soul for inspiration, specifically to the influence of Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin. In 2006 Knight was awarded the MBE (The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for her contribution to British music and her charity work.