Jewell to be Barbecue entertainer

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

— Country music artist Buddy Jewell will be the entertainer for the 57th annual Decatur Barbecue on Aug. 6, the Chamber of Commerce announced at Monday’s meeting.

Jewell is well known for his hits “Sweet Southern Comfort,” and “Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey’s Song),” as well as songs like “If She Were Any Other Woman,” “Me Lovin You,” “Addicted to the Rain,” and “Someone Who Would Die For You.”

In 2002, Jewell won the USA Network’s first Nashville Star, a talent show for aspiring country musicians, according to his press release. Immediately Jewell signed a record deal with Columbia Records, they released his self-titled album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Top Country Album charts, and was recognized by the ACM, CMA and CMT awards with multiple nominations. Since then he has released albums “Times Like These” and “Country Enough.”

Jewell is an Arkansas nativewho grew up in Osceola, not far from Dyess, where his father grew up with Johnny Cash, according to Jewell’s biography on Great American Country’s Web site, gactv.com.

According to the biography, both of Jewell’s parents were musical, and there werestacks of country records around the house. Jewell learned to love the sounds of Marty Robbins and Johnny Horton from his father, also named Buddy, and learned to play the guitar from his uncle.

Success didn’t come easily for Jewell, but he persevered. Born in a working-class family, he began singing for a living at the age of 21, according to his biography. He performed from Texas to Tennessee and has driven a beer truck, been a night club bouncer, washed cars, bagged groceries, workedas a door-to-door salesman and labored on a loading dock as well as being a husband and a father.

In between his working-stiff jobs, Jewell began to make contacts in the country music industry. His larger-than-life voice eventually made him Nashville’smost popular demo singer, his biography states. A demo singer is an anonymous vocalist who is hired to record a demonstration of a song that is then played for a star’s consideration.

In 1997, Jewell recordedmore than 663 demos including George Strait’s “Write this Down,” Lee Ann Womack’s “A Little Past Little Rock,” Clay Walker’s “You’re Beginning to Get to Me,” and Gary Allen’s “The One.”

Even so Jewell still held onto his dream of someday having a recording contract. According to his biography, Jewell’s wife Teneencouraged him to enter the USA Network contest Nashville Star. More than 8,000 performers were narrowed down to 125, then 12 were chosen for the nineweek series, according to the biography. The national television audience voted Jewell the champion and Colombia Records wasquick to sign a record deal with him.

Four of buddies biggest fans are Tene, his wife of 20 years, and their three children, Buddy III, Lacey - the true inspiration behind “Help Pour Out the Rain” - and Joshua.

Jewell enjoys reaching out to the communityand serves as the spokesman for the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation and St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital.

Jewell will be performing in Veteran’s Park on the evening of Aug. 6. To learn more about Jewell or listen to samples of his music visit www.buddyjewell.com.

News, Pages 1 on 04/07/2010