American singer, Jesse Powell known for his chart topping 1996 hit song “You,” is dead. He was 51.
Jesse’s sister, Tamara Powell, who is also a singer shared the news with her Instagram followers, writing, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother, and uncle Jesse Powell.”
“He passed away peacefully in his Los Angeles home. The family asks for privacy at this time as we mourn this tremendous loss and celebrate his everlasting legacy.
“Jesse loved music and he especially loved his fans who supported him throughout his career. We want you all to know that you meant the world to him. – The Powell Family”
The R&B vocalist was born in Gary, Indiana and raised with his siblings Trina, Tamara and Jacob.
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.
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 No. 32 on the Billboard R&B chart.
His self-titled album was released on March 12, 1996, opening at No. 35 on the Billboard R&B and No. 32 on Heatseekers charts.
A second single, a remake of the classic “Gloria” followed later that year and garnered Powell another charting single (No. 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 (No. 85 US, No. 25 R&B).
Bolstered by the success of the single, his sophomore album ‘Bout It was released on September 8, 1998, opening at No. 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 No. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 (marking his first Top 10 hit).
Sales of his second album gained steadily, and it was eventually be certified gold by the RIAA, peaking at No. 15 on R&B and No. 63 on the Billboard 200 (moving him out of the Heatseekers chart as an artist).
A third single “‘Bout It, ‘Bout It” followed 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 was the single “If I” in 2000, which peaked at No. 58 on the R&B chart.
His third studio album JP was released on March 27, 2001, opening at No. 18 R&B and No. 71 on Billboard 200.
A second single, “Something in the Past” (No. 67 R&B) followed, 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” (No. 99 R&B) and “Touching It Tonight,” peaking at No. 85 on the Billboard R&B chart.
The album served as his last release before his retirement from the music industry.