In Memoriam: Singer/Songwriter Jesse Powell
One of the most extraordinary voices in R&B; Grammy nominated Jesse Powell has passed away at the age of 51.
Confirmed by his sister Tamara: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother, and uncle Jesse Powell,” reads the family’s statement. “He passed away in his Los Angeles home. The family asks for privacy at this time as we mourn this tremendous loss and celebrate his everlasting legacy. Jesse loved music and he especially loved his fans who supported him throughout his career. We want you all to know you meant the world to him. – The Powell Family”
Jesse began molding his singing style at the tender age of 7. “I had my first band then,” he once recalled. He, along with his mother, brother, and sisters; singers/songwriters Trina and Tamara performed in and around their native Gary, Indiana. Jesse called his music a throwback to the ’70s soul songs he heard and performed in those early days, noting; “That old soul vibe kind of captures [my sound] today.”
He was known for his platinum R&B classic 90s album, “Bout It,” which reintroduced “You” from his debut album and became a #1.
Discovered by industry vet Louil Silas, Jr. the Gary, Indiana native was known for his four-octave range. Louil Silas Jr. stated to Billboard in 1996: “Jesse’s been with the label since 1992, and we’ve been taking our time developing him because he’s got more than just singing talent. He’s an accomplished writer, too, as well as a dynamic live performer. So we wanted to be thorough in preparation for his debut -both on his side as an artist and on ours from a marketing perspective.”
Also a songwriter, Jesse wrote “Constantly,” the 1994, gold single by Immature, and worked with such acts as the Isley Brothers, Ray Parker Jr., and Angela Winbush.
“Everybody wants to make the [male vocalist] some macho, hard-nose who looks like he’s about to beat somebody up. But if that’s not what every artist is, you can’t fake it. Every now and then the nice guy can finish first.”
– Jesse Powell
The world was first introduced to Jesse Powell’s inspired talents in 1996 via his self-titled debut album on the Silas/MCA Records imprint. It yielded stunning versions of ‘70s vocal group Enchantment’s classics “Gloria” and “It’s You That I Need.”
Those two songs gave us a direct link to his influences and served to bring this impressive vocalist that much closer to our hearts.
Jesse Powell, executive-produced by the late Louil Silas Jr, also contained the sexy “Spend The Night” (which utilized Isaac Hayes’ “Do Your Thing” sample from his Oscar-winning “Shaft” soundtrack) and an undiscovered nugget in “You.”
In 1998, Jesse released the platinum “Bout It,” an album that further flexed his natural musical abilities. In an unusual move, “You” was placed on the album because the powers at Silas/MCA Records felt the song had not received the attention it deserved the first time around.
Their intuition proved to be correct, as the song reached the top of the national charts and has since become a staple at weddings. Jesse stated on “You;” “When people tell you that they’re gonna play the song at their wedding, that’s the biggest compliment anybody can give you as an artist.”
“I Wasn’t With It” and “’Bout It,” were two more songs that established Jesse as an artist to be reckoned with, one who wasn’t just another “one-hit” performer.
His third album “JP,” explored the many unexplainable facets of love; the turmoil, the questions, the insecurities the uncertainties, the joyous headiness of life’s most enigmatic emotion. Through words and music, he interprets those twelve songs with a wisdom and understanding of a man many years older.
He released his final album entitled “Jesse” in 2003 and after the release of that album he retired from music.
UB Sends Our Condolences to Jesse’s Family, Friends and Fans!
