A Legacy Defined by Authenticity
The singer-songwriter, Jesse Powell, left us too soon in September.
Less than a month ago, the music universe lost one of its greatest, a true genius, talented like none of his peers. Jesse Powell, this R&B star born in Indiana, passed away at the age of 51 years old from what seems like a heart attack, one day after his birthday. The saddening news was shared by one of his sisters.
Powell wasn’t the most recognized in the industry, but R&B music fans know how instrumental and influential he has been for musicians to this day. He forged a path that should not be downgraded.
We never got to fully know the person, but we were aware of what he stood for. It is pretty straightforward. The artist wanted love to be the meaning of life, as it should be. Romance was something he cherished in his everyday life.
Most recognized for “You”, a 1999 wedding go-to song, the Grammy nominee artist was never in the spotlight. Some might say that he was a one-hit wonder, just because “You” was the only song that people took into account (having peaked at №10 on the Billboard Hot 100, the music industry standard record chart in the US for songs, published weekly). It became a mainstream hit. The thing is that most people didn’t hear the rest of his music catalogue; a small one but impressive nevertheless.
The crooner didn’t put out a ton of music. Quality over quantity was a mantra he was following by the book. His debut album, self-titled, was released in 1996. The singer-songwriter with an impressive vocal range went on to release 4 albums, his last one being Jesse, which was never put on streaming applications, nor iTunes. And, after an endless hiatus of more than 18 years, the singer revealed a cryptic song called Addison Walker in July of this year. The 58 seconds instrumental jam is what you would hear in an elevator. It was probably intended to announce a well-deserved comeback. Who knows?
That man, a one of a kind 90s phenomenon, wasn’t what you call a show-off, someone full of himself, unlike other singers in the industry who make their craft all about them. That’s what admirers loved the most about him. We cannot recall Jesse Powell doing one-on-one lengthy interviews. If you search online to have just a glimpse of Powell talking about himself, good luck, you won’t find much. In his case, it was all about the music and his strong vocal abilities. Remember ‘Bout It,’Bout It, Take My Breath Away or If I? These were ballads that brought you to another place. These songs make you remember that at the end of the day, love is the only answer to all the atrocities we are confronted with during our lifetime.
Powell never backed away from the ups and downs that love brings. He was talking about all of the aspects of the beautiful thing that romance is, the honeymoon phases as well as the painful heartbreaks. You have to remember that heartbreaks are not the end of the world, just the start of something better, where you move on from an aspect that wasn’t worth pursuing.
In a way, he showed us that he had feelings just like everyone else. On his albums, it was common to see a sad song right after a joyful tune, and vice versa. The American artist also explored the theme of loneliness, including in his songs All Alone and I’d Rather Be Alone (from two separate projects).
The artist could’ve followed the path of other R&B musicians and dedicated himself to selling himself and his albums. He decided to not do interviews, to not appear on talk shows, and, surprisingly, was never present on social media. That’s refreshing, isn’t it?
On that front, he never shared things about his personal life. Everything seems to point out to the fact that he wasn’t married and didn’t have children. Music was the only thing that was of importance to his numerous fans. It may have been a generational thing, but he never gave in this narcissistic trend that singers fall for nowadays.
Jesse Powell had two sisters, R&B musicians as well, Tamara and Trina Powell who released their first and only album in 1999.
You can see it well when an artist changes throughout the years. Where the love for music, the importance of sticking to its roots, disappears for some, Jesse Powell was different from the crowd.
Behind, he leaves a legacy that is defined by authenticity. Always remember to stay true to yourself despite what others are doing. That’s one of the many lessons that Jesse taught us. Despite his passing, his music will live forever.
