Jessie Laine Powell began her music career at an early age. At 14, she was singing on the weekends at weddings, festivals, and churches with her high school teachers whom she considered her mentors. The Lexington, Kentucky singer, songwriter soon found that music was her calling. Her goal is to heal the world through her music.
“We lived in the very small town of Winchester, Kentucky and I would travel all over the place singing,” said Jessie Laine Powell, owner of JLPMusic. “I was making good money, for a 14-year-old and I soon realized that I could make music my professional career.”
Jazz Standards and Gospel Music
Jessie fell in love with jazz music in her early 20s. Her dad was a minister, she grew up singing gospel music. In fact, she and her sisters traveled with their father when he preached, and they would be his choir. Traveling and singing inspired her to compose music and she released her first gospel album, “On the Edge,” in 2004.
Transitioning to Soul R&B
During the last three years, Jessie has been undergoing a transformation and delving into Soul R&B. She says as an artist you are should be constantly growing and evolving, especially with your music. For her R&B was the next step for her to enter into naturally which allows her to reach a totally new audience of listeners.
“ Soul R&B allows me freedom and simplicity as a vocalist, It is a very intriguing style. It is a genre I particularly enjoy singing. It also allows me to tell a story musically and strategically. The flow is much smoother, and I am learning and growing in a completely different genre,” she added.
Over the years, Jessie has found inspiration from the sounds of such musicians as Anita Baker, Patti Austin, Phyllis Hyman as well as others. Jessie has teamed up with music producer and manager Baron Harris, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was instrumental in helping Jessie release her first Soul R&B single in the U.K.
“We released her single April 17 and it has been in rotation since with over 8.5 million listeners around the world,” said Baron Harris, president of Baron Harris Music. “DJs and radio executives from the U.S., U.K., Australia, Italy and Germany have given us great feedback on her new single.”
Helping others Heal
Jessie released her single “Like No Other Love” in the U.S. earlier this month and she hopes to put smiles on people’s faces. For Jessie, her music is a way for her to give hope, healing and happiness to the world. Through her music, she hopes that people learn to live their lives with compassion, joy. She added that before COVID-19 we all were living life at a fever pitch and at a speed in which we could not sustain. “Many lives have been lost and it breaks my heart. We’ve been forced to re-examine our priorities,” stated Jessie.
The state of the world also, as she puts it, has made humanity stop and take a look at our priorities. Families are shifting and getting back to the basics of spending time with each other, having compassion for one another, and connecting with each other in a deeper way.
“I am creating music for people so they can relax and exhale and put into perspective what God has given to us,” she said. “My purpose is huge, but I am ready to bring joy to peoples’ lives.”
