Jesse Powell

Powell was born in Gary, Indiana and raised with his siblings Trina, Tamara and Jacob.[4] The family performed in local talent shows, and in 1993, he attracted the attention of producer Carl Roland in Kansas City. Following an artist showcase, Louil Silas, Jr signed him to his Silas Records imprint.[5]

Three years later, he completed work on his debut album. His first single "All I Need" was written by Powell, Sam Salter and Laney Stewart and was released in March 1996. It received moderate airplay on BET and Urban stations, peaking at #32 on the Billboard R&B charts. His self-titled album was released on March 12, 1996, opening at #35 on the Billboard R&B and #32 on Heatseekers charts. A second single, a remake of the classic "Gloria" followed later that year and garnered Powell another charting single (#51 R&B).

Powell then began work on his second album, debuting the lead single "I Wasn't with It" in 1998 which became his first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 (#85 US, #25 R&B). Bolstered by the success of the single, his sophomore album 'Bout It was released on September 8, 1998, opening at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart (for artists who have yet to crack the Top 100 on the Billboard 200). The album experienced moderate sales at first, until the release of the set's second single. "You" was originally included on Powell's self-titled debut. However, it proved to be a favorite and was included on his 'Bout It album and released as the second single in February 1999. It became his biggest (and signature) hit, peaking at #2 on the Billboard R&B chart and #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 (marking his first Top 10 hit). Sales of his second album gained steadily, and would eventually be certified gold by the RIAA, peaking at #15 on R&B and #63 on the Billboard 200 (moving him out of the Heatseekers chart as an artist). A third single "'Bout It, 'Bout It" would soon follow later that year, in addition to work on his third album.

Following Silas Records merge into MCA Records, Powell's first release on the label would be the single "If I" in 2000, which would peak at #58 on the R&B chart. His third studio album JP was released on March 27, 2001, opening at #18 R&B and #71 on Billboard 200. A second single, "Something in the Past" (#67 R&B) would follow, in addition to Powell doing some promotion for the release. In 2002, he left the label and signed with Riviera Records. His fourth studio album Jesse was released on October 14, 2003 and was supported by the singles "By the Way" (#99 R&B) and "Touching It Tonight," peaking at #85 on the Billboard R&B chart. The album would serve as his last release before his retirement from the music industry. He currently resides in Los Angeles and continues to collaborate with other artists on their music and in television production.