Buddy Jewell Jr. was born on April 2, 1961, in Lepanto, Arkansas and is an American singer known for his contributions to contemporary country music. He began playing guitar during childhood and taught himself to play songs by Johnny Cash. After graduating from Osceola High School, he attended Arkansas State University but left to pursue a musical career. Jewell's breakthrough came when he won a singing competition sponsored by the band Alabama, which led to an opening slot for them. In 1993, he moved to Nashville and worked as a demo singer, recording over 5,000 demos for various artists. In 2003, Jewell competed in the first season of Nashville Star on USA Network, becoming the show's inaugural winner. This victory led to a recording contract with Columbia Records Nashville. His debut single "Help Pour Out the Rain" reached Number Three on the country charts and Number Twenty-Nine on the pop charts. The self-titled album Buddy Jewell, produced by Clint Black, sold 500,000 copies and earned a gold certification from the RIAA. It also featured the hit single "Sweet Southern Comfort". His second album for Columbia, Times Like These (2005), did not perform as well at radio, leading to his departure from the label. In 2015, Jewell signed with Lamon Records and released My Father's Country, a collection of classic country songs. He was inducted into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame in September 2015.
