Sufjan Stevens (pronounced /ˈsuːfjɑːn/, born July 1, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter and musician from Petoskey, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on the Asthmatic Kitty label, a label formed by him and his stepfather, beginning with the 2000 release A Sun Came. His 2005 album Illinois hit #1 in the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart..