Michael Tolcher's 'I Am'

Even though his aspiration was to become an Olympic athlete, a sports injury led up-and-coming rocker Michael Tolcher to re-evaluate his life and become a singer.

"I Am" is his debut CD, and he performs a few songs from it on The Saturday Early Show's Second Cup Café.

As a child, Tolcher sang in the church choir, and as an adult, he performed for prisoners at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, where his father was the resident chaplain. It was there that he was convinced he had to pursue this career and decided to go on the road.

On his Web site, the Lovejoy, Ga., native writes, "When I went out, it was me, my van, and my guitar. It was a reflective time in my life, wandering across the country in solitude, seeking mind-opening experiences. At times, it was very humbling, and at other times, it was very empowering."

The songs from his CD tell what he learned about himself in his journey.

Recorded by Chris Shaw (Bob Dylan, Weezer, Dashboard Confessional) and mixed by Tim Palmer (U2, Pearl Jam, The Cure) and Mark Endert (Fiona Apple, Madonna), "I Am" includes such songs as "Mission Responsible," "No One Above," "Sooner Or Later," "Bad Habits" and "The Sun Song."