Jewel Kilcher came from what can be best described as an unusual background. This girl was born on May 23, 1974, to parents Atz Kilcher and Lenedra Carroll, in Payson, Utah.

Her family soon moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where she grew up on an eight-hundred-acre farm. Kilcher spent her time taking care of horses, haying and working in the family's garden. She discovered her knack for writing poetry at an early age since her mom encouraged her and her two brothers, Shane and Atz Lee, to explore their creativity openly. By the time she was six years old, Jewel was performing for the local tourists with her parents.