Jewell

Jewell Caples (June 12, 1968 – May 6, 2022), better known as Jewell (jew-ELL), was an American contemporary R&B singer best known for her work with Death Row Records in the early 1990s. She was called the "First Lady of Death Row Records".

Career

From 1992 to 1997, Jewell provided vocals on albums from various Death Row artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and 2Pac, in addition to motion picture soundtracks produced by the label. Her biggest solo success was her 1994 cover of Shirley Brown's song "Woman to Woman", which appeared on the Murder Was the Case soundtrack. It peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and #26 on Adult R&B Airplay in 1995.

Jewell was among many Death Row artists who later departed the label due to financial issues and the shakeup of the roster. She claimed she was unable to sign a recording contract thereafter due to her association with Death Row CEO Suge Knight, and her singing career wound down in the 2000s. In October 2011, she published My Blood My Sweat My Tears, a memoir chronicling her stint at Death Row Records.

Health issues and death

Caples was hospitalized in 2019 after she stopped breathing and collapsed while shopping at a Walmart. She was hospitalized twice in March 2022 due to a self-described "lung injury illness", during which she had eight pounds of fluid removed from her heart, legs, and lungs. In an October 2021 interview, she said that she was given six months to live, and hurried to release her final album, Love + Pain = Musik, as a result. Caples died at age 53 on May 6, 2022.