"It's hard to categorize the pure and enchanting vocals of folk-turned-pop-turned-country artist Jewel, but any way her cards are played Jewel has been one utterly successful vocalist and guitarist. The earthy gem of an artist has provided number one singles on the Adult Top 40, Mainstream, Adult Contemporary and Dance Music/Club Play charts, and a chart-topper is sure to come with her newest country hit, ""Stronger Woman.""Jewel was raised in Homer, Alaska to a musical family, starting to go on tours with her singer/songwriter parents by the time she was just six years old. Her parents eventually divorced, and Jewel took her music bug and attended the prestigious Interlochen Fine Arts Academy in Michigan, where she dabbled in songwriting. A move to San Diego after graduating to live with her mother turned out to be a career-boosting move, as local performances at a coffeehouse in Pacific Beach gained Jewel a cult following. By 1995, Jewel had inked a deal with Atlantic Records, releasing her debut album Pieces of You. The folk-laden album was slow to catch on, but eventually spread rapidly and songs like ""Who Will Save Your Soul,"" ""You Were Meant for Me"" and ""Foolish Games"" were Billboard winners.In 1998, Jewel came back with the spoken word poetry collection in the album Night Without Armor, followed up by her second album Spirit. After releasing another spoken word collection and a holiday album, Jewel released the album This Way, after which she reinvented herself and her music with the 2003 album 0304, a shocking mainstream dance-pop release that put her completely outside her previous earthy and calm folksy style. In 2006, Jewel went back to the soothing sounds of her previous genre with the album Goodbye Alice in Wonderland, and the talented musician once again stunned fans when she turned her most recent leaf, crossing over into country music with her 2008 album Perfectly Clear and the country hit ""Stronger Woman."""