Jewel is a musical gem
by Charles Haymes
Thursday, July 10, 2008 2:54 PM CDT
To followers of the country music talent competition Nashville Star, pop vocalist Jewel has become a very recognizable face. Last year, she served as host. This year, she is one of the three judges.
From many viewers, she probably seems like an unusual choice for a program affiliated with country music. However, she has noted that the first song she ever learned to sing was Merle Haggard’s “Silver Wings.” In April, she furthered her love for country music with the release of Perfectly Clear on Big Machine Records.
The project has already been greeted with droves of critical acclaim. Aside from the album’s first single, “Stronger Woman,” top tracks include “I Do,” “Everything Reminds Me of You” and “Anything but You.”
Jewel was born in Utah. At an early age, her family relocated to Alaska, where she grew up on an 800-acre homestead. Her youth was spent tending to horses and working in the garden as the family lived a very simple life. They had no television or running water.
At the age of eight, Jewel’s parents, who were both songwriters, divorced. She and her mother moved to San Diego, but she continued performing with her father in bars and various other small venues for eight years.
Jewel, who learned to play piano before she could read, received a vocal scholarship from the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. While attending Intelochen for her junior and senior years of high school, she studied sculpture, drama and dance. During her senior year, Jewel started learning to play guitar and began to write songs.
Following graduation, she moved back to San Diego to live with her mother. Not being able to afford college, Jewel took several jobs, including work as a waitress and a secretary, but she disliked them.
Tired of a life that they both despised, she and her mother moved into their Volkswagen vans. They survived on carrots and peanut butter and washed in the basin of the local K-Mart toilet.
Jewel’s days were spent writing songs and performing at local coffee houses. Soon, she landed a regular Thursday gig at the Innerchange in Pacific Beach. As her popularity grew, she started playing as many as four shows per day. Suddenly, the talented 19-year-old folk singer had garnered some attention within the music industry. In 1995, her debut album, Pieces of You, was released.
After a year of touring the country as an opening act, her hard work led to a recording contract with Atlantic Records. By now, Jewel was a frequent guest on virtually every television program you could name and she was the talk of the pop/contemporary music world.
Released in 1998, her album, Spirit, reflected both the growth and development she had made in the short span of three years. She followed with more widely liked albums, such as This Way, 0304 and Goodbye Alice in Wonderland.
From being homeless to becoming a star, Jewel has remained well-centered and always mindful of her roots and how difficult of a time she once had. She is blessed with an unique voice, as well as a keen sense of creativity when it comes to songwriting. Rooted in folk, her sound is a mix of rock, pop, country and blues. Place her in whatever genre you prefer, and she still remains one of music’s most refreshing artists.
Charles Haymes is a freelance writer from Beebe, and a member of both the Country Music Association and the International Bluegrass Music Association.
