Jewel (last name: Kilcher), who was born May 23, 1974 in Payson,Utah. Known for
her rich folky voice and youthful spirit, Jewel has made waves in the past two years as
the singer responsible for "Who Will Save Your Soul?" and "You Were Meant
For Me." Jewel was raised on a homestead outside of rural Homer without
electricity or running water; she and her siblings were schooled at home in everything
from reading and math to art and music. At the age of six Jewel began performing on-stage
with her parents, and her yodeling routine became a highlight of the show. When her
parents divorced she continued to perform with her dad in bars and restaurants.
Jewel studied at Michigan's Interlochen Fine Arts Academy on a vocal scholarship, then
moved to San Diego at 18 to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. After
several failed jobs, she began living in her van and writing songs which she would
come to perform in local coffeehouses. Innerchange Cafe featured her as a regular
musician, and soon thecrowds began growing exponentially. She caught the eye of record
execs at Atlantic,recording much of her debut album, Pieces of You, live at Innerchange.
Despite being produced by Ben Keith (who's worked with Patsy Cline and Neil Young),
Pieces nearly flopped its first time around; VH-1 halfheartedly pushed "Who
Will Save Your Soul," but no one was biting. Just when most record companies would
have dropped thealbum, however, Atlantic promoted it a second time, and found a niche with
Jewel's sweet vocals and acoustic guitar. Since then her first single has made its mark on
the Top 40, and"You Were Meant For Me" has had a steady stint at Billboard's #1
spot. Jewel continues to tour her record, and plans to make a second album -- perhaps
before the end of the year.
