Biography of Jewel

One of the most folk-based of alternative female singer/songwriters in the mid-'90s, Jewel moved from the coffeehouses to a major-label record deal before she turned 20. Born Jewel Kilcher on May 23, 1974, she grew up in Homer, Alaska. She began performing at the age of five, and studied singing for two years on a scholarship to the Interlochen Musical Academy in Michigan. After graduation, Jewel moved to San Diego to live with her mother, and began performing at a local coffeehouse. By 1994, the occasional shows became a packed Thursday-night residency, and Atlantic executives signed her to a contract. An EP was released in late 1994, and Jewel's debut album Pieces of You, appeared the following February. ~ John Bush