She took piano lessons, and she sang in a rock band in high school but quit due to damage to her vocal chords.
Marian McPartland, a pianist and radio host, heard a copy of Atwood's debut album, Today!
[6] Atwood was born with androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS),[2] an intersex trait occurring in approximately 1 in 20,000 people.
[7][8] In a person with complete AIS, the body's cells are unable to respond to androgens, male hormones.
[8] She discussed AIS for the first time publicly with Bill Kohlhaase in the liner notes for her 2002 album, Waves: The Bossa Nova Session.