Jewel photo courtesy of the Valory Music Co.
May 1, 2008 - Singer-songwriter Jewel has sold a reported 30 million albums since she notched her first pop hit in 1996, so it would have been easy for her to try to transition into country music while still headlining concerts.
Instead, she's hitting the road as an opening act for Brad Paisley this summer, beginning with a June 11 concert in Albuquerque, N.M., the week after she releases her first country album, Perfectly Clear. That means she'll have to cut her set list from 60 or 90 minutes down to 45 minutes, but she threw ego aside to prove her commitment to the genre.
"I really look at this as a building kind of thing," she told Billboard. "I want to show that I'm serious about this [country] thing and I'm willing to pay my dues."
Jewel will likely draw fans to the concerts who've never seen Brad before. She's had pop hits in the past with "Who Will Save Your Soul," "You Were Meant For Me" and "Foolish Games," among others, so she has a fan base of her own.
"I think my fans are going to like Brad, because he's a songwriter and a musician," she said. "My fans like the real deal. And I think his fans are going to like me. I think it's a great fit, audience-wise."
Jewel insists her segue into country is not a big step for her. She notes that in many of her previous releases, her producers encouraged to take the country influences out of her original interpretations of the songs.
"I just feel like [country] is a great continuation for me," she said. "I don't really feel like it's a musical switch, like it's the end of something and the beginning of something new. I've been here all my life; now I'm just getting a chance to really do it. I'm excited about that."
Whether or not she's a stranger to country music, Jewel is certainly familiar with Nashville. Her first album was mixed in Music City, and her 2002 pop hit "Standing Still" was produced by Dann Huff, who liner-notes freaks will recognize as the producer of hits by Lonestar, Faith Hill, Keith Urban and Leann Rimes.
Jewel's new album, and her single "Stronger Woman," were produced by John Rich, of Big & Rich.