TWIST October/November '97

25 things you've never heard about

Jewel

You've probably read it about a hundred times: Jewel grew up in Alaska and lived out of her VW van in San Diego. But we've dug up new gems - from her aunt, her teachers, even her grandpa!

1. Jewel was born in Utah. She was just a baby when her family up and moved to Homer, Alaska.
2. When Jewel was little, her family belted out tunes together before every meal.
3. Jewel is dyslexic.
4. Her Swiss grandfather, Yule Kilcher, taught her to yodel.
5. When she was six, she'd stay up late yodelling in bed.
6. Growing up, Jewel had a horse named Clearwater.
7. She chopped hay so her horse had plenty to eat during the Alaskan winters.
8. Jewel was home - schooled until the fourth grade.
9. Jewel wanted to go to the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan but couldn't afford it. So her aunt and mother helped her put on shows to raise cash.
10. Jewel is her real first name, but for a while in high school, she spelled it Juel.
11. Jewel wanted to act, too, but voice majors weren't allowed in Interlochen's drama classes. She begged until she got an audition, and was so awesome that the drama department started accepting non - theater majors.
12. She landed the lead role in that semester's play, Spoon River Anthology. Her part? A dead woman who tells tales from her gravestone.
13. When she was in high school, Jewel didn't paint her nails or wear makeup. Her acting teacher says,

    "She just didn't care. She was a unique little flower."

14. Jewel liked to stroll around school barefoot.
15. She modelled for a sculpture class for extra dough, often writing and singing new songs in between poses.
16. When she needed extra money for school, she was forced to sell Clearwater.
17. While living in her van and playing coffeehouses in San Diego, Jewel had to wash up in Kmart bathrooms.
18. Infamous for forgetting to bring guitar picks to her shows, Jewel often borrowed them from other musicians.
19. Her early shows at the Inner Change Coffee House in San Diego were so jam packed with fans that she often had to walk across tables to get to the stage.
20. After her shows, she'd shake hands with everyone and thank them for coming.
21. Jewel liked to leave kooky messages on her answering machine.
22. Last May, her unofficial fan club - the Every Day Angels (EDAs) - registered a star in her name for her birthday. Now, Jewel Kilcher, Jewel of the North, shines just inside the Little Dipper.
23. Jewel had a small concert - Jewelstock - in upstate New York last year just for EDAs. Admission was free!
24. Sometimes Jewel loses her lyrics! She couldn't remember the words of an old song during a recent European tour, so her mom called an EDA who e-mailed the song to Jewel.
25. She likes to tweak noses, and even squeezed Bob Dylan's beak when she opened for him last spring.

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