The singer/songwriter Jewel has come a long way from the rural Alaska where she grew up. She was discovered performing acoustic sets at open-mic nights in San Diego, where she slept in a van. Atlantic Records funded the recording of her demo, which would become her smash 1995 debut, Pieces of You. With her folksy sound and confessional lyrics, she epitomized the pure aesthetic of the Lilith Fair era. She's since released multiple pop albums and club remixes, and is now best known as a country star and reality TV judge.