Yep - you'll have to buy another one.
In those instances, the book store is paying Jewel a set amount - especially if there's no ticket purchase. This is how the company will make their money.
Enjoyed sharing my story and details on #NeverBroken with @arthivemagazine​. Read it all here: http://t.co/MA5DbqPqDv pic.twitter.com/bfXe6P0KMg
— Jewel (@jeweljk) August 27, 2015
Have any more book signing dates been announced. I really have no desire to go to NYC
This spread would have been a great time to unveil some more of the PUtP photo shoot, but alas...
Jewel’s NEVER BROKEN Preorder Sweepstakeshttp://www.penguin.com/never-broken-preorder-sweepstakes/
Preorder* Never Broken by Jewel and enter for a chance to win prizes as follows:
Entry Period #5 September 1-September 8, 2015: One winner will receive a guitar, a video shout-out from Jewel and a signed bookplate (ARV = $300.00)
At thirty, I found out that not only was all my money gone, but I was several million dollars in debt. The same year I came to feel that my mom, who was also my manager, was not the person I believed she was.
Hello Everybody,
As usual it seems that you know things almost before we do. Your alert
about the Schick website allowed us to have them make some corrections to
that site in keeping with how we had agreed that Jewel's image and
announcement must be presented. So thanks for that.
Let me answer some of your questions. First some back story. With
downloading so prevalent, revenues are drastically down for both record
labels and artists; this isn't news to any of you. Naturally this means no
one can afford to do things in the way they used to be done. For record
companies this results in the recording and promotion budgets being
drastically cut. No artist is exempt to this, so it affects us too.
Jewel had, as usual, a very specific creative vision for her next music.
The album she envisioned was an expensive one to make, promote and tour.
So how to get the music made and to fans in a time when far less money is
available to do so? Enter Schick into the picture. When we heard from
Atlantic of Schick's interest in licensing a song for their Intuition
campaign, we thought it might be a good fit. Earlier this year, Atlantic
played Jewel's song Intuition for the Schick people; they loved it and
decided to license it for their commercial. What resulted was a unique
music partnership between the artist, the label and Schick that allowed
the music to be created and promoted in the way that Jewel wanted. As soon
as Jewel finishes the album she'll write you a note and give you the
entire story, it's a pretty interesting one.
But basically for us it's pretty simple, there are a number of things that
we care a lot about, among them Jewel's music, Clearwater Project and Soul
City Cafe. Relationships like this one with Schick allow those to continue
in this currently difficult time in the industry. And by the way, Schick
made a donation to the Clearwater Project too and we are talking to them
about other ways that we could partner on Clearwater Project, Soul City
Cafe and her tour. So there might be more we can do together.
With the May IntuitionFest in New York, Schick is celebrating National
Intuition Day (yes one already existed). It's sort of a fair. There are a
number of authors speaking on the topic of intuition and a lot of other
things going on; it sounds pretty interesting actually. Schick invited
Jewel to sing and offered a slot to a Soul City Cafe artist also. They
preferred a female artist from the East Coast so we invited Rebecca Reed
to join Jewel. I think it will be great exposure for Rebecca; there will
be a lot of press going on.
We're working on some other great promotional opportunities coming up for
Soul City Cafe artists and I'll let you know when we know more. Plus, I've
heard all the semi-finalists for the Soul City Cafe Music Quest and love
the music. I have my favorites and I can't wait to hear who yours are. The
June playoffs are going to be fun, Jewel is looking forward! Enough for
now, hope this answers your questions, love and gratitude to you all. You
are the reason.
Lenedra J. Carroll
Manager
P.S. Can't resist saying that the video is a little shocking and a LOT of
fun. Plus, our team did a "making of" video that you'll love; it will be
on the commercial single we are releasing mid-May-ish.
Hi everybody,
Unfortunately news leaked before we could get our note to you first, so
many of you are already aware that Jewel and I are not going to continue
our relationship as manager and artist. When Jewel asked me to be
involved at the start of her career, I told her I'd manage for five years,
and it's been ten now. They have been ten really amazing years, and you
know a lot of the stories of our development of her career together. As
other business opportunities have developed, as well as our work with
Higher Ground for Humanity and the ClearWater Project, I have watched my
energy and interest move more in that direction and away from management,
and I feel it's time to make that move complete.
As Jewel and I have discussed this, we've felt that the timing is perfect
in terms of what is happening in the music industry. With the crisis the
industry is in, things have become much more difficult for artists.
Downloading and other factors have greatly impacted artists' revenues, and
a high level of business expertise is needed now. Harder times have
drastically changed the relationship of artists with all areas of the
industry, making the management role as guard dog more important than
ever. To fill this role, Jewel has chosen the team of Irving Azoff and his
staff at Azoff Music Management.
She chose Irving for a number of reasons. A high level of management
connectivity in the industry is really needed for her right now, and
Irving certainly brings that to the table, along with a wealth of industry
experience. Important to her is his development of long-term career
artists such as the Eagles and Steely Dan. Irving has a reputation for
being very tough and I know he will protect her at all costs, which is
crucial right now. I am also impressed with the fact that so many of his
artists and employees have been with him for nearly thirty years; the
focus on loyalty and taking care of each other is great. I'm also
satisfied that the understanding and enthusiasm for Jewel's talent as a
singer-songwriter and performer are primary in his interest in her. Also
important to me is the range of services and expertise that a larger
company provides. So I support her choice of new management and also
assure you that I will be around to consult and be involved as well--I'm
certainly not walking away entirely!
I think the thing Jewel and I most look forward to is having more time for
our personal relationship. It seems in the past year and a half, with the
crisis the music industry is in, we never even have time to go to a movie
together. So we can't wait to have more time to enjoy each other without
the continual demands of her career always coming first.
I have to say that my contact with all of you has always been a highpoint
for me and I would miss that going away, so we'll find ways for me to
still be in touch. You know I think you are the greatest fans on earth!
Lots of love,
Lenedra
Rise of the female rock memoir (http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/rise-of-the-female-rock-memoir/2015/09/04/64db029e-5097-11e5-933e-7d06c647a395_story.html)
...
“This is the era of the female act, be it Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Gaga, and maybe that has caused overall a hunger for reading about female artists,” says David Rosenthal, the former Rolling Stone editor who, as president of Blue Rider Press, is publishing Jewel’s memoir as well as upcoming books by Emmylou Harris and Sinead O’Conner.
...Jewel, whose “Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story” comes out Sept. 15. In an interview, she said that her book wasn’t really a rock memoir. It’s more about her path from an abusive childhood, through her time living in her car, struggling with agoraphobia, and, ultimately, recovery. She’s not particularly interested in being lumped in with only female writers.
“I never aspired to be a great female singer songwriter or great artist,” she says. “I aspired to be a great artist competing with the boys as much as the girls.”
Jewel: unedited. .. did i block that out of my memory. Lol. Cant recall which one that is.
Also, does anyone know if the audio book of Never Broken gets released the same day as the book?Yep. It's $30.
It's one of those videos that I'll intend to watch a few minutes of before being sucked in and before I know it, I've watched it all.
(http://i.imgur.com/YIu2Y6K.png)
EDIT: This shouldn't be this hard :lol: Sorry!
Jewel bares nearly all in her new memoir
Candid book reveals much about the ups and downs of the former San Diego singer-songwriter, whose new album comes out Friday. She appears here Sept. 24 at Sherwood Auditorium.
Released in 1995, Jewel’s slow-building first single, “Who Will Save Your Soul,” kick-started her dizzying rise to fame in 1996. Now, two decades later, the former San Diego singer-songwriter bares her soul in vivid detail in her memoir “Never Broken — Songs Are Only Half the Story.”
"I did not write a ‘tell-all’,” stresses Jewel, who nonetheless cuts right to the chase in her new book. It will be published Sept. 15 by the Penguin Random House-owned Blue Rider Press. Her new album, “Picking Up the Pieces,” will be released Friday by Sugar Hill Records.
Within the first three paragraphs of her memoir's foreword, this Utah-born, rural Alaska-raised troubadour provides enough details to fuel several memoirs.
After her parents split up when she was a child, Jewel writes, her father, Atz Kilcher, was abusive to her and her two brothers. She began living on her own at 15, earned a scholarship to Michigan’s Interlochen Center for the Arts at 16, then graduated two years later.
After moving to San Diego to join her mother, she became homeless here at 18. Battling kidney problems and living in her car, Jewel resorted to shoplifting.
Music provided her salvation. Barely a year after moving here, she was signed to an album deal by Atlantic Records. Her 1995 debut album, “Pieces of You,” foundered for at least a year before taking off, propelled by her constant touring and two hit singles, “Who Will Save Your Soul” and “You Were Meant for Me.” The album went on to sell 12 million copies.
By 1996, when she was still only 21, Jewel was an international star. She had an affair with actor Sean Penn, starred in a film by Oscar-winning director Ang Lee, performed at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II, played at the 1999 edition of Woodstock, and much more.
Her worldwide album sales are now around 30 million. Her 1998 book, “A Night Without Armor,” has sold more than a million copies, a remarkable number for a poetry collection. Her largely innocuous autobiography, “Chasing Down the Dawn,” came out in 2000.
Fame, fortune, then a sobering reality check
Then, after all her dizzying success, came an equally heady free-fall.
Not long after she turned 30, Jewel writes: “I found out that not only was all my money gone, but I was several million dollars in debt. The same year I came to believe that my mom, who was also my manager, was not the person I thought she was.”
Prolonged legal entanglements and a chilling estrangement followed. She and her mother, Nedra, have not spoken or seen each other since 2003. Jewel married rodeo star Ty Murray in 2008. They had a son, Kase, in 2011, and divorced last year.
“Writing this book was, at first: ‘How do I make all of this make sense to anybody,’ when it doesn’t make sense to me?’ ” says Jewel, speaking recently from her home in Telluride.
The deluxe eBook edition of Never Broken includes more than an hour of audio tracks and video footage, including live performances, exclusive a cappella recordings of each song featured in the book, and a rare recording of the audition that Jewel made at age fifteen for Interlochen Arts Academy. These additions, along with photographs of handwritten lyrics, personal artwork from Jewel’s archives, behind-the-scenes tour footage, and more, enrich the heartfelt emotion and sense of adventure already so present in Jewel’s words.
It's interesting that portions of the promotional pre-release had to be removed to avoid potential litigation from her mom. Those will be collector's items (at least to me).
I'll be buying more copies of this and PUTP because the make great holiday gifts haha
The deluxe eBook edition of Never Broken includes more than an hour of audio tracks and video footage, including live performances, exclusive a cappella recordings of each song featured in the book, and a rare recording of the audition that Jewel made at age fifteen for Interlochen Arts Academy. These additions, along with photographs of handwritten lyrics, personal artwork from Jewel’s archives, behind-the-scenes tour footage, and more, enrich the heartfelt emotion and sense of adventure already so present in Jewel’s words.
My John thought i was crazy for buying 3 different versions of the book... okay maybe a bit ocd.. but not crazy
http://www.legendaryrockinterviews.com/book-review-jewel-never-broken-blue-rider-press/
Twenty years since bursting into pop culture’s consciousness with her debut album “Pieces Of You”, Jewel is releasing her memoir “Never Broken” on September 15th through Blue Rider Press. In the twenty years since its release, Jewel has remained a creative force as a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. She also branched out into acting and has published several books prior to “Never Broken”.
I’ve read “Never Broken” twice in the past two weeks. Presently, I am working on my third time through. The first thing that caught my attention was that unlike many celebrity memoirs, Jewel actually wrote hers. I’ve been a fan of her since I first saw the video for “You Were Meant For Me” back in 1996. I own ALL her albums as well as the two books she has previously authored. Whether you are a longtime fan or picking up this memoir out of curiosity, rest assured it is OBVIOUS, “Never Broken” is all Jewel! No “ghost writer” needed.
“Never Broken” is a no-holds barred and brutally honest account of her life. As a fan, I was aware of many of the details of her life but Jewel really goes in-depth in telling about her life. From her gypsy childhood living in the harsh environment of the Alaskan wilderness without modern day amenities such as running water or indoor plumbing, to her time singing in bars with her dad Atz Kilcher after her parents’ divorce all the way to present day as a well-established musician, author and loving mother.
This memoir takes the reader on a journey through all her hardships and triumphs. It is a captivating story of survival, self-discovery and perseverance mixed with some amazing insight on how she has avoided becoming just another statistic, to borrow a “line” from the woman herself. One will be floored reading of the “relationship” she had with her own mother. It is simply heart breaking but Jewel carried on.
What I enjoyed most about the book and what was the most surprising aspect of it was it opened my eyes to my own life, my surroundings and those in my life. It made me take stock of everything and opened my eyes to some things that needed changed! It is equal parts memoir and the best “self-help” book I have ever read. Jewel offers amazing advice and lessons based on her experiences that will undoubtedly help many readers along the way.
The “Afterword” alone is worth the suggested retail price! Dr. Phil and the rest of these “self-help” gurus don’t have anything on Jewel but she never fails to give credit where credit is due. She offers up several suggestions for books that helped her through her darkest times that I will be purchasing.
To quote from the press release of this memoir, “My life has been about constantly challenging myself to discover who I am, and to become responsible for my own happiness rather than being a victim of whatever fate has thrown my way, “ said Jewel. “I hope that the personal experiences I write about will help others to understand that, no matter how bleak or how gilded, we are not prisoners of our circumstance unless we believe ourselves to be.” How right she is!
The month of September promises to be a busy month for Jewel. Besides releasing her memoir, she is also releasing a new album entitled “Picking Up The Pieces” on Sugar Hill Records on the 11th. She will also be making numerous media appearances to promote both the memoir and album as well as doing special signings around the U.S. Check the “The Latest” section her official site for a list of all the appearances and book signings.
Thank you Jewel for sharing not only your amazing story but for using the platform of your memoir to continue to inspire others. You truly are an “Every Day Angel”!
In this exclusive excerpt from new memoir Never Broken, out tomorrow, the singer bares all.
How do you have to listen to this - on iTunes?
How do you have to listen to this - on iTunes?
Wherever you bought it, I assume. Like, if you got it from Amazon then there or the Kindle/Kindle app. iTunes, there or any Apple product. Google Play, there or any Android device. Easy. ;)
Back in my day, when you bought something, you owned it! :grandma:
She needs new "people" to run her business.
She needs new "people" to run her business.
EDA's would be ideal. I think we all know how it feels to get something either late or not at all and that's unfortunate.
She needs new "people" to run her business.
EDA's would be ideal. I think we all know how it feels to get something either late or not at all and that's unfortunate.
Package has left seller facility and is in transit to carrierand USPS's verbiage is:
Your item was picked up by a shipping partner at 10:51 am on September 15, 2015
All that sounds like a huge PITA. I guess just putting all that shit on a CD or DVD is for geezers now.
Anyway- Amazon sez my copy of NB:SAOHtS (heehee) is arriving tomorrow by 8pm:QuotePackage has left seller facility and is in transit to carrierand USPS's verbiage is:QuoteYour item was picked up by a shipping partner at 10:51 am on September 15, 2015
I'd forgotten that there's an Amazon fulfillment facility about 30 miles away; that's probably where the "shipping partner" (FedEx?) picked it up.
September 17, 2015 , 8:35 am
Out for Delivery
DOVER, DE 19904
Your item is out for delivery on September 17, 2015 at 8:35 am in DOVER, DE 19904.
My book's in the little postal service Jeep and it's on the way to me.QuoteSeptember 17, 2015 , 8:35 am
Out for Delivery
DOVER, DE 19904
Your item is out for delivery on September 17, 2015 at 8:35 am in DOVER, DE 19904.
:thomdance:
From Jewel, or Amazon?
Still haven't even gotten a notification that mine shipped. :LoudMouth:
From JewelAh. The one I'm getting today is from Amazon. Got another coming from Jewel...if the bundle ever makes it out of Texas, that is.
I will have a signed copy of Never Broken this evening going to signing in Birmingham TODAY!!!! :wub:
Studio exclusive with @Jeweljk on the differences between recording a book versus a song http://t.co/Y1Sy1sNvkhhttps://t.co/216FoazNtR
— Audible (@audible_com) September 17, 2015
Me checking my mailbox.
(http://37.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz7p3hazrZ1qh59n0o3_250.gif)
Studio exclusive with @Jeweljk on the differences between recording a book versus a song http://t.co/Y1Sy1sNvkhhttps://t.co/216FoazNtR
— Audible (@audible_com) September 17, 2015
Studio exclusive with @Jeweljk on the differences between recording a book versus a song http://t.co/Y1Sy1sNvkhhttps://t.co/216FoazNtR
— Audible (@audible_com) September 17, 2015
Jewel tweeted about extra content and goodies about the audiobook too but no word yet if it's the same as the Enhanced Edition or different!
That's a good find.
Interesting that she (very nicely) chucked a fastball at vocal teachers. Didn't I read somewhere that she utilized one while recording POY and that the result was Kermit?
This spread would have been a great time to unveil some more of the PUtP photo shoot, but alas...
I decided to do the 30 day free trial of Audible. I haven't ran into any extra stuff yet, but she has sang an a capella version of My Father's Daughter. I don't want to talk about specific stuff yet, but I will say that her elaborating on some stories we've heard before is pretty interesting. That creepy child molester guy? Creepy! And I guess we now know the backstory of Race Car Driver. :shock:
But yeah, if anyone is still too impatient to get the book then the Audible one is a good alternative. It's free if you cancel before the 30 days are up. :)
Got word that #NeverBroken made the @nytimes #BestSeller list amongst some great company. Thx for all of the support! pic.twitter.com/55r03UtZaj
— Jewel (@jeweljk) September 25, 2015
Lucky train passengers. ::2
That's a helluva hangover! D:
Ya need a little hair of the dog that bit ya. :w
Am most definitely broken for the foreseeable future!Nooo! LOL. Shhh don't say that here. :P
I'm finding that I can now better connect what was going on in Jewel's life with certain timelines - and when I see interviews or performances during certain times, I'm thinking - wow, she was going through this or that with her Mom or this and that with Ty during this time, while looking so happy to the outside world. Is anyone else doing this as well since they've read the book?
I feel weird posting this, but I Googled Zarasthura and this YouTube channel came up... Is this Jacque? It looks like pictures of her to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azmFWjajgpM
Not even sure that I should....
Reading the part where Jacque channeled Z, I was curious what it might have looked/sounded like. Jewel described a dramatic change in her facial appearance when channeling Z, but I think that it'd be hard to say without seeing a before/during channeling video. The accent is very bizarre, so I can see Jewel falling for it, following her mother. I'm not sure why the accent is necessary though... He was originally from Iran in the 3rd century (Wikipedia), right? So he wouldn't know modern English. But if being channeled and all knowing, why would he adopt a foreign accent instead of just speaking clear English. Maybe that was Jacque's normal accent? So many questions. I guess I shouldn't use logic to investigate a cult. :P
Dang, all of this really makes me feel sorry for young Jewel. I try to view things with a healthy dose of skepticism now, but I can't imagine what it'd be like to be pretty young and have your thoughts and emotions preyed upon and used against you. Spirituality based in nature in itself isn't bad, I don't think, but the whole channeling and such is just so beyond logic to me that I just can't understand it. :no:
I've never met anyone who really believes that kind of stuff. I'd ridicule it here, but I'd like to think I'd keep an open mind about it.
When I was in Oregon, I got pretty curious about religion in general and I attended a TON of churches. My fave was the 7th Day Adventists and the Society of Friends. I went and hung with the 7th Day Adventists a few times as they were very welcoming, but I preferred the SoF and I'll tell you why - there's no minister or any of that stuff you typically expect in a church - just people sitting in a circle praying their souls out. Occasionally, someone would stand up in the silence and talk about what's on their mind, and they'd always be really emotional about it (hence the term, the Quakers), but there were no guidelines about it. What was most fascinating to me is when you sat in this room, whether you were praying or not - whether you believed any of it or not - there was a ... heat? energy? ... in there that would well up your eyes. I took a good friend at the time and both of us, atheists mind you, were weeping so hard the whole time with no explanation of why. And when we left, we weren't puffy-faced. Explain THAT, science!
I never went back because I felt like I had no business bothering these people or interrupting whatever it was they figured out that I'll never understand. And they're so so so nice. The whole meeting was held in someone's house instead of some overbearing facility. No statues or preaching or begging for cash donations - just a solemn circle of prayer. It's stuck with me more than any other place.
This really doesn't relate much at all to Z, but many people think the Quakers are basically a cult, but they're a harmless, pacifistic, kind cult that no one in their right mind could possibly think was up to no good. Can't say the same for the Z people, but I'd likely keep an open mind if I was around someone like that. I can't explain everything, that's for sure.
I spoke to Jewel, a singer, songwriter and author of Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story, about the inspiration for her career, the long term impact she wants to make, some of the obstacles she encountered along the way, how she turned her childhood trauma into her motivation for success, and her best advice.
Jewel has received four Grammy Award nominations and has sold more than thirty million albums worldwide. She is the founder of Project Clean Water, and is also author of the New York Times bestseller A Night Without Armor: Poems as well as two books for children. Jewel’s debut album, Pieces of You, became one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, going 12 times platinum. The debut single from the album, “Who Will Save Your Soul”, peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100. Jewel was the co-host, as well as a judge, with Kara DioGuardi on the songwriting competition reality television series Platinum Hit, which premiered May 29, 2011 on Bravo.
I spoke to Jewel, a singer, songwriter and author of Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story, about the inspiration for her career, the long term impact she wants to make, some of the obstacles she encountered along the way, how she turned her childhood trauma into her motivation for success, and her best advice.
Jewel has received four Grammy Award nominations and has sold more than thirty million albums worldwide. She is the founder of Project Clean Water, and is also author of the New York Times bestseller A Night Without Armor: Poems as well as two books for children. Jewel’s debut album, Pieces of You, became one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, going 12 times platinum. The debut single from the album, “Who Will Save Your Soul”, peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100. Jewel was the co-host, as well as a judge, with Kara DioGuardi on the songwriting competition reality television series Platinum Hit, which premiered May 29, 2011 on Bravo.
Dan Schawbel: Who originally inspired you to become a singer and songwriter and what long-term impact did they make on your career?
Jewel: I don’t think becoming a singer songwriter is something you choose- it chooses you. To me, someone who is a singer songwriter is different than someone who writes songs. I believe the heart of every singer songwriter has been touched by pain and struggle, and this in turn forced their heart to cultivate deep empathy and insight not only into the poetry and beauty of their own suffering, but for the suffering of those around them. They feel an obligation to ask questions and push back on dogmatic structures and encourage thought and expression rather than just mere entertainment.
My own life led me down this path- having faced abuse and transience at a young age. There was also a lot of beauty. I turned to writing as a coping mechanism instead of drugs. My songs became the sound track to my own life , documenting my struggle to find balance and happiness. I had no idea it would turn into a career, but I’m sure glad it did. My mentors were other writers who had an unapologetic perspective on life. Loretta Lynn, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Merle Haggard, Bukowski and Anais Nin. They not only wrote of love, but of the human condition. They refused to use art as propaganda to make themselves seem more perfect that they actually were. They had the courage to show who they actually were- worts and all. And that courage to show the real human experience inspired me to write honestly.
Schawbel: What were your major obstacles as you were trying to break into the world of music?
Jewel: Breaking through in the 90′s as a female folk singer who talked about remaining sensitive and vulnerable as a survival method rather than cynicism, at the height of the male dominated grudge movement was a tall order. Luckily grit and the work ethic I learned on the family Homestead in Alaska paid off.
Schawbel: You faced a great deal of trauma in your childhood. How were you able to turn the pain into motivation for your success?
Jewel: I knew when I moved out at 15 that statistically girls like me end up repeating the cycle we were raised by. Statistically I should have ended up on drugs, in an abusive relationship or on a pole somewhere. I did not want to be a statistic. So I looked at the idea of nature verses nurture, and thought – if I received poor nurture as a child, could I re- nurture myself and get to know my actual nature? My life goal at that moment became to learn how to avoid being a human full of holes, but a whole human instead.
Transmuting pain in beauty, and converting innocence into wisdom and resilience has been my number one job my whole life. My music career was number two- but it documented the real job at hand. My memoir Never Broken documents the my real success story- my fight for happiness and what I learned along the way.
Schawbel: You were homeless in San Diego and then a DJ aired one of your songs. Do you think you can make your own luck or that people are simply lucky?
Jewel: I believe that with talent , humility, tenacity and hard work combined, we are in a position to create and also take advantage of opportunities that life may present. There are always opportunities if we are looking.
Schawbel: What are your top three pieces of career advice?
Jewel:
1. Work hard.
2. Be great at your craft and learn your field.
3. Go deeply within yourself to find your own intuition. This leads to originality so you don’t just succeed, but innovate. There is no single path to success- success is the inner knowing it takes to hold a vision and listen, and the stubbornness it takes to keep standing every time you get knocked down.
He made his way to Homer, Alaska. His friend Ruth crossed the Atlantic in ’41 just before America’s entry into World War II. They married after she arrived.
Jewel Kilcher (known as Jewel), 42, is a singer-songwriter who has sold more than 30 million albums and is the author of five books, including “Never Broken” (Blue Rider), a memoir. She spoke with Marc Myers.
My grandfather, Yule, on my father’s side, was a pioneer. He was a Swiss national living in Germany in the 1930s and was part of a group of idealists who wanted to leave. So in 1936 he sailed for the Territory of Alaska, where he heard there were free homesteads.
Homer was a remote fishing village then, and life was hard. Yule and Ruth had to build their own house, pump water and carve a living out of untamed wilderness. My maternal grandparents also were among Alaska’s early settlers.
My father, Atz, and my mother Nedra, met in Homer and married. I was born in Salt Lake City. After my dad returned from Vietnam, he and my mom moved to Utah so he could study social work at Brigham Young University. After he graduated, we moved to Anchorage.
At first, we lived in a tiny two-bedroom apartment. Then my father built a larger, log-frame house near town with three bedrooms. I picked my own carpeting—pink shag.
Both of my parents were musical. They had a variety show in hotels for tourists, and I began singing with them on stage at age 5.
When I was 8, my parents divorced. It was traumatizing for my two brothers and me. My mom told my father she needed a break from being a mom. She kept the big house, while my dad and my brothers and me moved back to Homer. We lived in a one-room house behind my uncle’s machine shop. I slept in the closet.
Dad was under pressure to raise the three of us, so life was hard. I realized I would need a way to survive emotionally and turned to writing.
To make money, my dad and I sang in local taverns, which taught me to look out for myself. When I was in fifth grade, we moved to a saddle barn on the homestead where my father was raised. We didn’t have much, but I loved it there. We hauled water and raised livestock for food. Our outhouse had a better view than any mansion. When there’s that much natural beauty around you, it’s hard not to believe there’s goodness in the world.
When I was 15, I moved out on my own, paying $400 a month in rent for a small cabin out in the woods. I hitchhiked into town to work.
The following year, I won a partial scholarship to the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and after organizing a fundraiser, I was able to attend and majored in operatic voice. I taught myself to play guitar between classes.
During holiday breaks, I busked for train and bus tickets and traveled around the country and hitched through Mexico. I wrote my first song, “Who WiIl Save Your Soul,” on this trip.
After I graduated, I made my way to San Diego, where my mom was struggling. After refusing the advances of a boss, I was fired. My mother and I ended up living in our cars. Eventually, she moved back to Alaska.
I had sick kidneys and couldn’t hold a job. Then my car was stolen. To get back on my feet, I began singing my own songs in coffee shops. I loved that people responded to songs about how I felt.
In 1993, I was discovered at the Inner Change Coffeehouse by a rep from Atlantic Records. My first album, “Pieces of You,” came out two years later when I was 21.
Today I live in Nashville and Telluride, Colo., with my son, Kase, who just turned 5. I’m building new business opportunities that allow me to be in one place more.
My home in Nashville isn’t flashy. It’s a three-bedroom house in the suburbs. In Telluride, I have a four-bedroom exposed-log house. Living there feels like Homer.
I return to Alaska as often as I can to visit my dad, who stars in the Discovery Channel’s “Alaska: The Last Frontier.” Yodeling comes in handy. If my son wanders off in the fields, I call to him by yodeling and he yodels back. My goal was never to be famous or rich. My dream was to be happy.