Jesse Powell was extremely gifted as a singer who had times in his too short career where he really broke breaking through. Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, Powell spent his childhood and teen years singing in his local church with his musical family (his sisters Tamara and Trina later recorded for Sony Records). He then met writer/producer Carl Roland and they formed a musical partnership that led them to California looking for a record contract. Powell was spotted at an L.A. artist showcase in 1994 by record executive Louis Silas (of New Edition fame), who signed him to his Silas label under a distribution deal with MCA.
Jesse Powell was extremely gifted as a singer who had times in his too short career where he really broke breaking through. Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, Powell spent his childhood and teen years singing in his local church with his musical family (his sisters Tamara and Trina later recorded for Sony Records). He then met writer/producer Carl Roland and they formed a musical partnership that led them to California looking for a record contract. Powell was spotted at an L.A. artist showcase in 1994 by record executive Louis Silas (of New Edition fame), who signed him to his Silas label under a distribution deal with MCA.
Powell released his eponymous debut in 1996, which featured a minor R&B hit with "All I Need" and a wonderful cover of the Enchantment ballads "Gloria" and "It's You That I Need. Powell boasted a crystal clear, strong tenor voice, and it was evidence that he could develop into a world class talent.
Powell put it all together in 2001 for JP, his best album and the one boasting a most consistent style: a solid Urban Adult Contemporary slant. He again showed himself to be a developing song interpreter, as his haunting cover of Al Hudson's "Something In the Past" became a career moment. Check it out below and tell us what you think.
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