Jewel Kilcher (born May 23, 1974 in Payson, Utah, United States) is a singer, songwriter, actress, and poet, generally known just by her first name, Jewel. She has received four Grammy Award nominations. Jewel is the daughter of Nedra Carroll, an artist and personal manager, and Atz Kilcher, an elementary school music teacher, folk singer and social worker. Her mother of Irish descent and her father is of Swiss-German origin. She is the cousin of actress Q'Orianka Kilcher. She spent most of her young life in Homer, Alaska, United States, living with her father. The home she grew up in did not have indoor plumbing; it had a simple outhouse instead.