Jamie O'Neal photo courtesy of 1720 Entertainment.

The woman known for her powerhouse vocals is also one of the industry's most prolific and accomplished songwriters, writing for LeAnn Rimes, CeCe Winans and Martina McBride, who took Jamie's "How Far" to the upper reaches of the charts, as well as "Idol" alumnus Kristy Lee Cook and newcomer Star DeAzlan.

Jamie has been a frequent television presence, with three appearances on "The Tonight Show" and appearances on "Late Night With David Letterman," "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn," "Entertainment Tonight" and "Access Hollywood," among others.
Through it all, she has shared the journey and the art that grows out of it with a loyal cadre of fans.

"Growing as a person and as a writer," she says, "then taking a step back and only recording the songs that I absolutely believe in a hundred percent keeps me connected and gives me a sound people recognize as distinctively mine."

That relationship with fans still inspires her, and it is one she solidifies each time she steps on a stage. It is a tradition she keeps alive with many of the songs on the new record, including "The World Goes On."

"We all go through feeling down, and I've been there, where you just think, 'God, give me a reason to get out of bed,'" she says. "There are so many great things in life and in the world to look forward to and you just have to find your strength within to start over. Still, that's not to say there's not a side of me that doesn't love doing fun, light songs like 'John Deere Letter' or 'Wide Awake' from the new project. I love songs that make people laugh."

No matter which side of human emotion she is exploring, Jamie's strength lies in the things she loves--songwriting and performing--and her art lies in bringing the realities of life to both. It is something her audience has treasured since the beginning.

"Knowing that the fans are still with me, still caring about my music," she says, "means the world to me. It's the one thing that propels me."