Jewel

Name: Jewel Kilcher
Born: 23rd May, 1974 (Payson, Utah, USA)

Profile: She is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actress, and poet. She has sold 27 million albums worldwide, and almost 20 million in the US alone.

History: Jewel learned to play guitar while at the 'Interlochen Arts Academy' in Michigan, where she majored in operatic voice. She started writing songs at the age of 16. In her early teens she and her father sometimes earned a living by singing in bars and taverns. It was from these experiences she learned to yodel, a quality demonstrated in many of her songs.

For a time, she was poverty-stricken and lived in her van while traveling about the country doing street performances and small gigs. She gained some recognition by singing at the 'Innerchange Coffeehouse' and 'Java Joe's' in San Diego, California.

She was discovered in 1993, when John Hogan (Rust), whom Inga Vainshtein was managing at the time, called to tell her about a girl surfer who sang at a local coffee shop. Vainshtein drove to the coffee shop with a rep from Atlantic Records. Danny Goldberg (head of Atlantic Record) offered to pay for Jewel to record some of her songs. Jewel's debut album, 'Pieces of You', was released when she was only 19 in 1995. The album stayed on the Billboard 200 for an impressive 2 years, reaching #4 at its peak.

In 2008, Jewel began work on a project with several dozen singer-songwriters to write and auction their lyrics with donations benefiting her 'Project Clean Water' charity. Many singers and songwriters besides herself have donated their written lyrics such as; Carrie Underwood and Pussycat Dolls, to name a few. The majority of the lyrics were written on paper, signed by the songwriter and also drew pictures to illustrate their lyrics.

In 2010, Jewel released a new single, 'Stay Here Forever'. It is also the lead-off single to Jewel's upcoming ninth studio album 'Sweet and Wild'. The single debuted at #58 on the Hot Country Songs chart and reached #34 in May 2010.

Influences: Unknown

Axology: Martin acoustic guitars

Signature song(s): You Were Meant for Me and Foolish Games - Jewel (Pieces of You, 1995)

Link(s):

http://www.jeweljk.com (Official website)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CW6QrCaRrmY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9abuQVho5I