Jessie James on the Limitless Possibility of her Artistry

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With her sensible combination of pop rock and country singing, Jessie James established an on-stage persona that caught the attention of music lovers in the country. Demonstrating her musical talents at an early age, Jessie continuously pursued her artistry not only in the field of music but in other creative fields as well. Other than singing, she was the star of her own reality TV show and has dabbled in other artistic endeavors, including fashion and cosmetics. To date, Jessie James continues to astound the music industry, proving that big things come in small packages.

Born Jessica Rose James in Vicenza, Italy, the young Jessie was already showing potential at the tender age of two. With her parents as her audience, her vocal prowess was discovered with her mere use of a toy microphone and tape recorder. Singing the song “I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart,” Jessie became a champion in a singing competition in Baker, Louisiana, at the age of nine. During this time, she was already composing her own songs using a plastic guitar. Soon after, the young talent was discovered and she had a taste of what it was like to perform in a large audience. Her first notable appearances were during the opening of Sea World as well as the Republican Convention.

The following years of her teenage life were quite tough. Every weekend, she would work on developing her song-writing talent and would constantly travel to Nashville to see if she can close a record deal. She was 17 when she caught the attention of Carla Wallace of Big Yellow Dog Music. Her song, “Gypsy Girl” was pitched to Carrie Underwood, but it was put on hold. Soon after, it reached the hands of David Massey, who endorsed her to L.A. Reid. Mercury Records offered her a contract and pretty soon, she was set to become a country and pop star.

Although Jessie’s genre was that of country music, she was instructed to put it in the direction of pop music. She described it as an intense process, with producers instructing her to sound less country and become more pop like Britney Spears. She released her debut album in August 2009 under the name “Jessie James”. The album placed at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 while her single “Wanted” reached No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. Following the release, Jessie performed alongside Kid Rock and Carlos Mencia in the Middle East for overseas-stationed U.S. troops. Jessie also worked on three music videos for her songs “Wanted”, “I Look So Good Without You”, and “My Cowboy” in the same year.

Jessie wrote or co-wrote most of the songs for “Jessie James.” Her debut album reflected her love for country music as well as pop and soul music. The song “Blue Jeans” also reflected Jessie’s talent in step dancing, with her “stepping” being used as a beat for this particular song. She cites singers such as Jessica Simpson, Bobbie Gentry, Shania Twain and Christina Aguilera as her musical influences. It was her initial goal to follow the career path of Bobbie Gentry, who successfully established a name in country and pop music.

Her second album was “Sweet American Dreams” with the single “Boys in the Summer” released in June 2010. Although considered a success, it did not place on the Billboard Hot 100. It was during the preparation of her second album that Jessie voiced out her concerns of wanting to record country music instead of pop. Massey asked Mark Wright of Show Dog-Universal to facilitate her launching on the genre. On January 31, 2012, her song “When You Say My Name” was released and on May 22, 2012, she released another song titled “Military Man.”

She was removed from the roster of artists under Show Dog Universal and struck a new contract with 19 Records. On April 2014, she released “Comin Home”, an extended play that peaked at No. 5 on the Country Albums chart and also hit No. 1 on the iTunes album chart. After which, she moved back to Big Yellow Dog, the company that first noticed her. On January and August 2015, she released “Clint Eastwood” and “Lights Down Low”, respectively, with the latter placing at No. 38 on the Country Singles Chart. On December 2015, Big Yellow Dog released her EP “This Christmas”.

Outside of the recording studio and off-stage, Jessie’s personal life has been more colorful. She married NFL star Eric Decker on June 22, 2013. The couple has two kids- Vivianne Rose Decker and Eric Thomas Decker II. Jessie and Eric also starred in their own reality series called “Eric and Jessie: Game On” which ran for two seasons. Her television appearance increased public awareness of her as well as the other facets of her personality. Aside from composing songs and singing, Jessie also has a talent for fashion and beauty.

In 2015, she announced her debut in the fashion scene when she opened “Kittenish” in collaboration with Kora Rae. The line is dedicated to clothing and accessories for daily wear, with the aim to help women build confidence while feeling good. With Jessie’s signature style and fashion sense, it is hard not to consider her as a fashion icon by many. Each season, she continues to release new collections for “Kittenish”. Apart from Kora Rae, Jessie also had collaboration with Amore & Sorvete in the summer of 2015. The line featured matching pieces of swimwear and accessories for moms, infants, and moms-to-be. She also released “Fave4”, a line of hairstyling products including shampoos, conditioners, creams and hairsprays.

The couple’s reality series also showed another side of Jessie’s talent which is makeup. In fact, she can make herself camera ready on her own. In 2011, she launched Jessie James Decker YouTube channel which was dedicated to makeup tutorials, style tips, and her music. Jessie feels that this is another venue for her to express her artistry. The tutorials vary from makeup applications, hair styling and most recently, workouts. Although relatively quiet on the music scene, Jessie’s 2016 schedule is filled with music tours all-over the country.