We tend to think that successful entertainers grew up in plush circumstances. That is hardly the case. Many endured all kinds of obstacles that tested their mettle to the limit.
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Singer Jewel, for example, is opening up about her early years on a small potato farm near Homer, Alaska. It was a rigorous life, but one that had its advantages, too.
Let's discover more about the country upbringing that helped make Jewel the star, mom, and confident woman she is today!
Jewel Grew Up With No Heat And Plumbing
Home Was A Very Modest Potato Farm
You may marvel at the deprivations that Jewel, 50, weathered as a young girl. There was benefits as well. According to foxnews.com via AARP, her dad helped her learn to yodel, a traditional feature of country music singing. She says today it "taught me about vocal control and precision." Those are two requisites for a singer, especially one with professional aspirations.
Jewel still feels grateful for what she mastered back then. "At a gala for my Crystal Bridges [Museum] exhibit in the Ozarks [this year], I sang 'Over the Rainbow' and ended with a cappella yodeling. It was full circle - I wanted to honor the region and say, 'Look what we hillbillies can do!'"
Yodeling Proved To Be An Unlikely Lifesaver For Jewel Once
It Got Her Out Of A Tough Jam Long Ago
Jewel looks back upon one difficult moment way back when she used yodeling to stave off some bothersome kids. "...it did actually save my life in Hawaii once. I was getting beaten up pretty bad there because I was one of the only white kids in a local school. When they found out I could yodel, they stopped beating me up and instead had me yodel every day."
She's Resourceful And Independent
Jewel Left Home At A Young Age
"I moved out at 15 and got myself through high school. But then my boss propositioned me. When I turned him down, he wouldn't give me my paycheck. I couldn't pay rent. I was, like, 'Fine. I'll live in my car.'"
Jewel admits that she stole food, then contemplated stealing a dress. "I was reduced to being an animal," she recalls.
Jewel Is Optimistic Despite Hardships And Setbacks
She Views Life Through A Lens Of Hopefulness
Maybe its her hardscrabble country roots or her depth of character that keep Jewel going. Whatever her wellspring of strength is, it has taken her to the peak of the country music industry.
Her philosophy is simple: "I want my life to be my best work of art. I want to try to live thoughtfully and intentionally and sculpt my humanity into something that will please me at the end of my life."
Jewel is living her best life rewardingly and purposefully. She is indeed a work of art herself!
