You may remember her from a few pop hits back in the 90’s but now Jewel steps into the limelight again, this time as June Carter Cash in the Lifetime biopic, Ring of Fire. Here she talks to Emily Brooks about fame, motherhood and taking her two-year-old son on tour.
When Jewel was asked to play June Carter Cash she certainly hesitated. Playing the iconic American country singer with such little acting experience, and so much personal respect, was a lot to consider. In the end, the tribute the biopic made to June’s legacy left Jewel with one answer; yes.
“I saw it as a time to tell June’s story”, says the singer whose role has been compared to Reese Witherspoon’s Oscar winning performance in the 2005 film, Walk the Line. Despite many critics labelling Reese a hard act to follow, Jewel doesn’t believe she’s in competition with the Oscar winner, suggesting Ring of Fire tells June’s story while Walk the Line saw her merely a supporting act.
“To categorise June as just the wife of Johnny is such a disservice to such an amazing talent and amazing life”, she tells The Weekly.
“So I just took this as if you saw Walk the Line and you want to know more about June”.
Ring of Fire tells June’s story, beginning in the 1930’s when, at the age of ten, she was singing country music with The Carter Family, soon flourishing into a solo singing and comedic act. This took her around the American countryside and into the arms a couple of men, lastly Johnny Cash. Viewers watch June battle through her first two marriages but after the first 30 minutes of the film when the two meet backstage for a second time and Johnny says “I’m gonna marry you one day”, to which June retorts, “Well I just can’t wait”, you know how the plot will progress.
Jewel’s introduction to music wasn’t so different from June’s, only a few decades later. The singer who’s sold over 27 million albums, started singing at the age of eight with her father and when she ended up jobless, it was a talent which ended up saving her.
“I ended up homeless when I was 18 because I refused to have sex with the boss when he propositioned me, so he refused to give me my pay check. I couldn’t pay my rent so I started singing for money”, says Jewel who looking back, explains she wouldn’t change a thing.
“I think I even thanked him on my first record.”
Despite her debut album in 1995 making its way up the charts, Jewel didn’t rush into another one and hasn’t done so throughout her entire career. The singer has taken years between albums and projects, which is another reason taking on June Carter Cash’s role was a huge decision for Jewel. Her humbling background is the reason.
“When that first record did take off, I thought you don’t have to put pressure on yourself, following it up, you don’t have to be the biggest thing ever and do these massive tours. And I thought if I save my money, I never have to work again, and how extraordinary is that. Why not enjoy that sense of liberation instead of putting more pressure on yourself”, she tells The Weekly.
“I would never have a six-figure mortgage or a private plane, which would mean that I never had to profit from my music again. I wouldn’t have to have another hit, and it gave me the freedom to experiment, and it gave me the freedom to be a human. It gave me the freedom to follow my heart and the freedom to stop and fall in love”.
After ten years together, Jewel wed professional rodeo cowboy, Ty Murray in 2008. The two now live on their ranch in Stephenville, Texas with their two-year-old son, Kase.
“For me, that’s what feels like winning, that’s what success is for me, but I totally understand that other people might scratch their heads and think that she blew her opportunity to make more millions touring,” she says.
The singer has just released her greatest hits album and is currently touring the U.S in small bouts; this time with a companion, much smaller than the regular groupie.
“I decided to do it like I’ve always done it except bring my son along and on paper that looks really good; we’d play all day and I’d put him to bed at 7pm and put makeup on and go on stage,” Jewel tells The Weekly.
“But going to bed on rock’n’roll hours and waking up on mummy hours is quite the challenge.”
Jewel is currently taking a break from touring, holidaying in Colorado with her family. Now, with a husband, a son and a career reaching almost two decades, Jewel counts herself lucky but explains it didn’t come easily as an 18 year-old on the streets.
“I knew statistically that I should probably end up on drugs and very unhappy, and I wanted to beat the laws, and that doesn’t happen by accident, that happens by planning”, she says.
“I wanted my life to be happy more than I wanted to be famous.”
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