But it was the unknown Jewel whose soaring voice and unpolished but powerful songs instantly captivated the seminar audience. The other four musicians had all recorded and were established attractions in this city’s vibrant music scene. She was a last-minute addition to a singer-songwriters panel I hosted that also featured Gregory Page, Cindy Lee Berryhill, John Katchur and Sven-Erik Seaholm. Jewel’s fearlessness was as palpable as her powerful voice when this writer first met her at the 1993 edition of the San Diego Independent Music Seminar. So was what Bob told me - that wherever your muse takes you, you owe it to being a singer-songwriter to have a fearlessness and believe in it, even if nobody else does.” Hearing Neil’s attitude of: ‘F- everything but the songs’ was empowering. Because in the music business, to try and get popular, you do whatever you can to make it work. “And I was making my songs a little more pop- and grunge-friendly because I didn’t want to have to live in my car again. “I had started making a second album for Atlantic,” said Jewel, now 46, speaking in late October from her Colorado mountain home in Telluride. His encouragement came at a crucial moment. Sensing her discomfort, Young offered her some memorably sage advice: ‘This is just another hash house on the road to success. Later that year, Jewel was anxiously pacing backstage at New York’s nearly 21,000-capacity Madison Square Garden, where she was about to open for Young and his high-decibel band, Crazy Horse. Having him take an interest in me, like my lyrics and believe in me meant everything.” “Bob encouraged me to keep touring as a solo acoustic act. He’d go over my lyrics with me, and ask: ‘How did you write that song, and why?’ It was such a surreal experience! I was like: ‘What is happening?’ I thought I’d pass out. That apparently piqued Bob’s interest and I was invited into his dressing room. But if they didn’t, I’d ask them to go out in the lobby. “I’d do everything I could to get them to listen. “I started kicking people out of Bob’s shows because they were talking during my opening set,” Jewel recalled. Each of the rock legends offered her support and words of wisdom, although she had been warned that Dylan never saw or spoke to his opening acts. Pivotally, after more than a year of countless performances with almost no visible traction, Jewel was invited to open separate 1996 tour legs for Dylan and Young. The key was Jewel herself and how she connected with people, because her voice was crazy good. “But she really grinded it out and stuck with it. “She was burned out and would break into tears from exhaustion,” Poltz agreed. “She asked if she could come back to the Inner Change and sing, and I said: ‘Of course. “There were times where Jewel would call me from tour, crying, and wouldn’t even know what city she was in,” Porter said. It was a period of self-doubt that Inner Change owner Nancy Porter and Steve Poltz, Jewel’s key early collaborator and mentor, both remember well.
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