R&B singer Jesse Powell has died at the age of 51 at his home in Los Angeles, his family announced Wednesday.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother, and uncle Jesse Powell,” his sister, Grammy winner Tamara Powell, wrote on Instagram.
“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,” she wrote.
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News of the ’90s crooner’s death sparked an outpouring of tributes on social media, where fans mournfully shared clips of their favorite slow jams by the singer-songwriter.
Powell, the brother of singing duo Trina & Tamara, got his big break after catching a music producer’s attention when he sang at a local talent show in his early twenties.
He was just 23 when his hit song “You” started climbing the charts in 1999, launching him front and center into the music scene. The song shot to No. 2 on the R&B Billboard charts and took 10th place on the Billboard Hot 100. His second album, ‘Bout It, was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
A Gary, Indiana, native, Powell had a total of four studio albums under his belt, with his most recent one, Jesse, released in 2003. And while his music won praise for his impressive vocal range even long after he retired, Powell also always made clear he was in it for the music—not the fame.
“I’m not a fake artist who’s just in it to make money, because they always burn out fast,” he said in a 2004 interview with Cleveland’s Call & Post.
“I’m not trying to be the world’s most famous person. I’m just doing music because I love doing it … Most of the industry is people trying to get rich. I’m not like that, I genuinely love music and people that buy my CDs are people that genuinely love music,” he said, adding that he refused to “be an impersonator” and imitate other artists.
“I hope that I never fit into any one category,” he said in another interview with Jet magazine in 1999. “I’ve always tried to be just Jesse.”
