And the Welcome everyone to another edition of So The Jaker on songwriting. I'm Brian here with

Simon and joining us for episode 228 is a Grammy-nominated American singer and

songwriter who experienced a meteoric rise in the mid 90s with one of the

best-selling debut albums of all time,

pieces of you.

To date she sold 30 million records worldwide and just a couple of weeks ago dropped her

13th studio efforts, Freewheeling Woman, produced by Butch Walker.

We are very happy to welcome the fantastic dual to the show.

Our guest was born Jewel Kilcher in Payson, Utah in 1974 and raised near Homer, Alaska on an 800-acre homestead

with no heating or running water. Her parents both have musical leanings and Jule herself

was singing from the age of six.

By the age of eight and following her parents separation,

she was performing on stage with her dad in hotels and bars around Anchorage.

She later won a scholarship to the prestigious Interloken Arts Academy in Michigan where she studied

Operatic Voice.

Jewel had written poetry from an early age at the encouragement of her mother and began writing songs

on guitar at age 16,

which she was soon performing in public at local coffee houses.

After graduating, she relocated to San Diego,

where in an unfortunate turn of events

she became homeless,

and at one point lived in her car while doing street performances

...