Almost Three Decades Later, Jewel Is Still Finding Peace in Music

Jewel was only 21 when she recorded her jazzy, folky breakthrough single "Who Will Save Your Soul" back in 1995. Even at that age, she sounded so assured, scatting through the lyrics, something credited to the hard life she experienced before her debut, Pieces of You, sold 12 million records.

"I was singing in bars with my dad since I was 8," she tells New Times over the phone. "I had lots of experiences live singing. There were lots of drunk men, and it taught me never to confuse sexuality with talent. That was a tremendous advantage. That's why I was never MeToo'd."

The popular origin story that came with her overnight success was that Jewel was homeless before her fame because she was so devoted to her music. While music was central to her life, Jewel says she wouldn't seek success at any cost.

"The reason I was living in my car was because I refused to have sex with a boss," she clarifies. "I was deeply unhappy at 15. I was homeless. I knew then the most important thing in the world was to be happy. Number two was being a musician, and I never let that promise down. It helped me to still be here today."

The first song she ever wrote was "Who Will Save Your Soul" when she was only 16. "And I've never gotten sick of singing it," she adds. "I find new ways to sing it."
It took almost two years after Pieces of You's release in 1995 before it found an audience, but it eventually broke through with the help of singles like "You Were Meant for Me" and "Foolish Games," both of which proved inescapable. Back then, Jewel was proud to honor the female singer-songwriters who came before her.

"I like that Olivia Rodrigo mentions her influences," she says. "When I came up, not a lot of girls wanted to admit to being influenced by other girls. I love my influences: Rickie Lee Jones, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, John Steinbeck, Chekhov."

She took advantage of her newfound celebrity by getting creative in other mediums. She published a book of poetry, A Night Without Armor, a New York Times bestseller that sold more than a million copies. She played a supporting role in Ang Lee-directed Western Ride with the Devil. She delivered a strong performance in the 1990 film, so it seems strange she never acted again.

"I was lucky because Ang Lee really believed in me. After that, I'd go on auditions, and they didn't like my teeth, or it would be a part like in the movie Swordfish where you had to show your tits," she explains. "Acting was so time-consuming. It seemed like I had to pick acting or singing. It was easy to pick music because I sang what I wrote, while acting was dehumanizing and sleazy. I liked it creatively, but I sacrificed it."
Jewel has also quietly dabbled as a visual artist. Her latest single, "The Portal," is a ten-minute experiment meant to be heard in unison with an art exhibition she curated at the Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas.

"I say it's like my music meets Pink Floyd," she says. "The idea is that a portal will open from the sky, and you think God or gods will deliver you a message, but really, it's your own anxiety. It goes from guided meditation to spoken word to three songs."

Her autumn tour, which will make its way to Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, will be a much more conventional musical experience where she will sing close to three decades of hits.

"Whatever mood the audience is at is where I meet them. The fun is I don't have to do the same show every night. I take a lot of requests. Sometimes, people stump me; they'll ask for a song from a bootleg, but I try to meet people where they're at." 
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Jewel and Melissa Etheridge. 7:30 pm, Tuesday, September 24, at Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood; 954-797-5531; myhrl.com. Tickets cost $97 to $147 via ticketmaster.com.