Jewel (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jewel
Jewel performing in 2022
Born	Jewel Kilcher (1974-05-23) May 23, 1974 (age 51) Payson, Utah, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter poet author activist actress
Years active	1994–present
Spouse(s)	Ty Murray ​ ​ (m. 2008; div. 2014)​
Children	1
Parent(s)	Atz Kilcher (father)
Relatives	Yule F. Kilcher (grandfather) Mossy Kilcher (aunt) Q'orianka Kilcher (first cousin once removed)
Musical career
Origin	Homer, Alaska, U.S.
Genres	Folk pop pop rock country
Instruments	Vocals (soprano) guitar
Labels	Atlantic Valory
Associated acts	The Rugburns Joseph Brent

Jewel Kilcher (born May 23, 1974), known simply as Jewel, is an American singer and songwriter. She has been nominated for four Grammy Awards. She has sold more than 30 million albums around the world.

Jewel grew up near Homer, Alaska. She started singing and yodeling with her father, Atz Kilcher, who was a local musician. When she was 15, she received a scholarship to the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. There, she studied how to sing opera. After finishing school, she began writing and performing her songs in clubs and coffeehouses in San Diego, California.

Because of local news attention, she was offered a contract with Atlantic Records. Her first album, Pieces of You, came out in 1995. It became one of the best-selling first albums ever, selling 12 million copies. Songs like "Who Will Save Your Soul", "You Were Meant for Me", and "Foolish Games" became big hits.

In 1998, Jewel released her second album, Spirit. This was followed by This Way in 2001. In 2003, she released 0304, which had a different, more electronic and dance-pop sound. Her first country album, Perfectly Clear, came out in 2008. It went straight to the top of the country music charts. In 2009, Jewel released her first independent album, Lullaby.

Jewel also released a book of poetry in 1998. The next year, she acted in the Western film Ride with the Devil. In 2021, she won the TV show The Masked Singer as the Queen of Hearts.

Early Life and Alaskan Roots

Jewel Kilcher was born on May 23, 1974, in Payson, Utah. She was the second child of Attila Kuno "Atz" Kilcher and Lenedra Kilcher. Her family moved to Anchorage, Alaska, shortly after she was born. They lived on the Kilcher family's large farm. Her childhood home did not have indoor plumbing. They used an outhouse and heated their home with a coal stove.

Jewel grew up living off the land. She said, "We lived far from town. We had to walk 2 miles just to get to the saddle barn I was raised in... We mainly lived off of what we could kill or can. We picked berries and made jam. We caught fish to freeze and had gardens and cattle to live on. I rode horses every day in the summer beneath the Alaskan midnight sun. I loved it there."

The Hilton Anchorage, where Jewel sometimes performed with her father as a child

When she was young, Jewel and her father often sang together in local places. They performed in roadhouses and hotels in Anchorage. This is where Jewel learned to yodel from her father.

At 15, Jewel received a partial scholarship to the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. People from her hometown of Homer helped raise money for her tuition. She studied classical singing and learned to play the guitar there. She started writing her own songs at 16. After graduating, she moved to San Diego, California. She worked in a coffee shop and a computer warehouse.

Music Career Journey

1993–1997: Starting Out and First Album

For a while, Jewel lived in her car and performed on the streets. She sang at coffee shops in San Diego. She became well-known at places like the Inner Change Cafe. She also worked with her friend Steve Poltz on some songs, including "You Were Meant for Me".

Kilcher at Bill Clinton's second inauguration gala, 1997

Jewel was discovered in 1993 by Inga Vainshtein. A local musician told Vainshtein about Jewel. Vainshtein brought a person from Atlantic Records to see Jewel perform. Jewel was living in a van at the time and couldn't record her own music. Vainshtein helped her get a recording deal with Atlantic Records.

Jewel's first album, Pieces of You, was released in 1995 when she was 21. It was recorded at singer Neil Young's ranch. The album stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for two years. It sold over 12 million copies in the United States. To promote the album, she toured with Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy.

1998–2002: Spirit and New Projects

In January 1998, Jewel sang the American national anthem at Super Bowl XXXII in San Diego.

Kilcher performs at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, 2000

Her second album, Spirit, came out in November 1998. It sold 368,000 copies in its first week. The song "Hands" reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Other songs from the album included "Jupiter (Swallow the Moon)" and "What's Simple Is True".

After Spirit was released, Jewel acted in the Western film Ride with the Devil (1999). She played the character Sue Lee Shelley. Critics liked her performance.

In November 1999, Jewel released Joy: A Holiday Collection, a Christmas album. It sold over a million copies. In 2000, she wrote an autobiography called Chasing Down the Dawn. It shared stories from her life in Alaska and her journey in music. In November 2001, her fourth album, This Way, was released. It sold over 1.5 million copies in the U.S. The song "Standing Still" was a Top 30 hit.

2003–2006: Exploring New Sounds

In June 2003, Jewel released her fifth album, 0304. The first song from the album, "Intuition", was very popular. This album was different from her earlier folk-style music. It had more electronic and dance-pop sounds. Jewel said she wanted to make more upbeat music because of the Iraq War. Both "Intuition" and "Stand" became number one hits on the Dance Club Songs chart.

Kilcher performing at The Theatre in Coquitlam in 2008

On May 2, 2006, Jewel released her sixth album, Goodbye Alice in Wonderland. This album was very personal. Jewel said it was "the story of my life" and "the most autobiographical album I have made since Pieces of You."

2007–2008: Moving to Country Music

In 2007, Jewel said she was no longer with her record label, Atlantic Records. She wanted to make a country music album. She worked with country musician John Rich.

Kilcher performing live in Providence, Rhode Island, 2008

In November 2007, Jewel signed with Valory Records. Her first country album, Perfectly Clear, was released on June 3, 2008. It quickly became number one on the Billboard Country Album Chart. The first song from the album, "Stronger Woman", became a Top 20 country hit. The music video for her song "I Do" featured her husband at the time, Ty Murray. Jewel also made a small appearance in the comedy film Walk Hard in 2007.

2009–2013: Lullabies and Greatest Hits

Kilcher at the Yahoo! Yodel event in New York City, 2009

In 2009, Jewel released Lullaby, an album of lullabies. She said these songs were "not just for children, but also adults". The song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was released from this album.

In January 2010, Jewel released "Stay Here Forever" for the movie Valentine's Day. This song was also on her ninth album, Sweet and Wild, released in June 2010.

Jewel's second children's album, The Merry Goes 'Round, came out in August 2011. In June 2012, Jewel played June Carter Cash in the TV movie Ring of Fire. Critics praised her singing in the film. In 2013, Jewel released a Greatest Hits album. It included new versions of her songs with other artists like Kelly Clarkson. She also released her second Christmas album, Let It Snow: A Holiday Collection, in November 2013.

2014–Present: New Music and TV Appearances

In 2014, Jewel started working on a new album that she produced herself. The album, Picking Up the Pieces, was released in September 2015. It had a folk sound. Four days later, she released her third book, a memoir called Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story.

In 2016, Jewel appeared in the Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe. She also started Jewel Inc., a company for her music, TV, and film work. In 2017, she acted in the Fixer Upper Mysteries on the Hallmark Channel.

In 2019, Jewel released "No More Tears". This song was for a documentary about youth homelessness. Jewel was an executive producer for the documentary. She was inspired to write the song because she had been homeless herself when she was 18.

In 2021, Jewel won season six of The Masked Singer as "Queen of Hearts". Judges praised her singing. She later released an album of the songs she performed on the show. In March 2022, Jewel represented Alaska in the American Song Contest.

Jewel's thirteenth album, Freewheelin' Woman, was released on April 15, 2022. She co-produced the album. On February 19, 2023, Jewel sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the NBA All-Star Game. She also sang it at the Indy 500 on May 28, 2023. In April 2024, Jewel joined Olivia Rodrigo to sing "You Were Meant for Me" at a concert.

Artistic Style

Jewel on the red carpet in 2010

Jewel is known for her wide vocal range. She can sing with a deep, powerful voice or a sweet, girlish one. When she first started, her music was simple folk tunes. Her album 0304 (2003) showed a change to a more general pop sound. Critics noted this change. Jewel said she wanted to make music that was more imaginative and authentic.

Her album Perfectly Clear (2008) was influenced by country music. Later, Picking Up The Pieces (2015) brought her back to her folk and American roots. Jewel often plays a Taylor 912-C guitar. She uses a special fingerpicking style or a hard pick to play.

Other Creative Work

Books and Writing

In 1998, Jewel published a book of poetry called A Night Without Armor. It became a New York Times best-seller. In 2000, she published her life story in a book called Chasing Down the Dawn. She has also written children's books: That's What I'd Do (2012) and Sweet Dreams (2013). In 2015, she released her memoir, Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story.

Art Projects

In 2024, Jewel created a museum show called The Portal: An Art Experience by Jewel. It was at the Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville. The show included her own paintings and a special music and technology display. It also featured art from the museum's collection. The show explored Jewel's idea of "Three Spheres" of human life: the inner world, the outer world, and the unseen world.

Jewel used new technology in The Portal. She created a drone light show with a new song. She also used a company called Proto to show a hologram of herself. The hologram welcomed visitors and performed songs.

Helping Others

Jewel started a non-profit group called Higher Ground for Humanity. Its goal was to help with education and make things better for people. Jewel gave some of her earnings to the group. The group's activities ended around 2005.

In 2006, Jewel helped with a campaign to "Stop Breast Cancer for Life". She delivered many petition signatures to Congress. These asked for a law to stop hospitals from sending women home too soon after breast surgery. Jewel also helped with the "Help the Homeless Walk" in Washington, D.C.

In 2008, Jewel started a project to help her "Project Clean Water" charity. Many singers and songwriters wrote down their song lyrics and auctioned them off. Jewel's songs "You Were Meant For Me" and "Who Will Save Your Soul" raised a lot of money. In 2013, Jewel became an ambassador for the ReThink: Why Housing Matters project. This project asked people to think about how public housing helps communities.

Personal Life and Family

Jewel and rodeo cowboy Ty Murray were married in the Bahamas in 2008. They had a son, Kase Townes Murray, on July 11, 2011. They divorced in 2014 after almost six years of marriage.

Jewel's father, Atz Kilcher, is on the Discovery Channel show Alaska: The Last Frontier. Her three brothers also live in Alaska. Her cousin, Q'orianka Kilcher, is an actress.

Jewel has been separated from her mother since 2003. Jewel has said that she believes her mother took millions of dollars from her.

Jewel has spoken about being a fan of women. She said she grew up in Alaska where women were very strong and self-sufficient. She felt that women could balance and achieve many things.

In 2022, Jewel shared that she started having panic attacks when she was 16. She learned to manage them using techniques similar to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Awards and Recognition

Concert Tours

• 1997: Tiny Lights Tour
• 1997: Papillion Tour
• 1999: Spirit World Tour
• 2002: This Way World Tour
• 2002: New Wild West Acoustic Tour
• 2003-04: 0304 Acoustic Tour
• 2005: Tour For No Reason
• 2008: Goodbye Alice In Wonderland Tour
• 2009: Perfectly Clear Acoustic Tour
• 2009: Lullaby Acoustic Tour
• 2010: Star Light Café Tour
• 2013: Greatest Hits Tour
• 2016: Picking Up the Pieces Tour
• 2017, 2018: Handmade Holiday Tour

Co-headlining Tours

• 1997: Lilith Fair (with various artists)

Opening Act for Other Artists

• 1995 Opening act for Peter Murphy
• 2006: Something to Be Tour (for Rob Thomas)
• 2008: Paisley Party Tour (for Brad Paisley)
• 2022: AM Gold Tour (for Train)

Discography

Videography

Film and Television Roles

Other Production Credits

See also

In Spanish: Jewel para niños