1.THEROCKSDISTRICT
“YOU’VEGOTTHESYDNEY
HARBOURBRIDGE,THEOPERA
HOUSEANDSOMEGREAT
BARSANDRESTAURANTSALL
INTHESAMEAREA.”
2.LUNAPARK
“ANOLD-FASHIONED
AMUSEMENTFAIRTHAT’SLIT
UPBEAUTIFULLYATNIGHT”
3.BONDIBEACH
“AGREATSTRETCHOFSAND”
4.MOMOFUKUSEIŌBO
“EACHCOURSE ISLIKEA
LITTLEADVENTURE.”
Inanerawhereentertainersseem
tohave theirroughedgesbuffedsmooth
bya focus-group formula—madeupof
controversy, “leaked”salaciousdetails
of romancesandasprinklingofactual
talent—JessieJ isararecaseofwhatyou
seebeingwhatyouget.
Bluntofexpressionand forthright
ofopinion, shehasearned theright to
bothof these traits.Todate,heralbum
saleshaveclockedmore than3million,
andsinglesalesarehoveringaround20
million.Toboot, she isnomanufactured
entity thrown togetherbySimonCowell
and fueledbypubescent fantasies.
Inaddition towritingsongs for the
likesofChrisBrownandMileyCyrus
beforestrikingoutonherown, shealso
pickedup theprestigiousCritics’Choice
accoladeat theBritAwards.Able to
channeleverything fromDetroit ’60s
soul tostraightouttaComptonhip-hop,
her lifeandmusichaveanurgency to
them thatseemsbornofsecondchances.
Afterachildhoodofheartproblems,
shewasdiagnosedwithWolff-Parkinson-
Whitesyndrome, andat just18yearsold
sufferedastrokeshe fearedshewould
neverrecover from.
“I lost the feelingonmyrightsideof
mybody, andIcouldn’tmove forabout
threeweeks.And theysaid that there
wasapossibility thatIwouldneverwalk
properlyorsing thesameagain. Isatback
andsaid, ‘Watchme.’ I feel so lucky that
Iwasgivenasecondchanceat life,”she
continues. “SoeverydaywhenIamable
todo this, youhaveno ideahowamazing
it feels thatI’mso lucky tobeonstageand
singingand livingmydream.”
This, afterall, isawomanwhodefied
doctor’sordersback in2011 tonotplay
the iconicGlastonburyFestivalwitha
broken leg.And in trueJessieJstyleof
turningadversity intoamorepowerful
beast, shewasseatedatopagold throne.
Onegets thesense thatshealso
learneda lesson thatmanydon’tgeta
handleon ina lifetime: thatnothing
mattersbutrightnowand life’s tooshort
togiveadamnwhatpeople think,be
theyAustralia’ssweetheartor thearmy
Asared-carpetfixture,Jessie isalso
all toowilling toshatter the illusionof
coolwithadmissions like, “Iwas just
takingaphotoupstairsandmynailsgot
stuck inmyweave.So funny.”
TobetterunderstandwhoJessie
J is, youneed toknowaboutDelta
Goodrem.Oftendescribedas“Australia’s
sweetheart,”she isasoapstarlet turned
singing/songwritingstar.She justalso
happens tobeoneof theresidentcoaches
on
TheVoice
, andwithJessie’sarrival in
thespinningredchair, itwasclear the
twohadverydifferentwaysofworking.
Whenshe feltanactwasnotstrong
enough,Jessiesaidso.WhenJessie
thoughtasingerwouldbebetteroffunder
the tutelageofrocking twinsBenjiand
JoelMaddenofGoodCharlotte fame
(insteadofDelta), shesaidso.When
Jessie thought theshowwasdoingmore
harm thangood toaperformer’s long-
term future, shewent there.Causing
Goodrem, awomannormallysweeter
thanaspartame, todrop thes-bombon
theairand leave theset.
50
OCTOBER2015
AMERICANWAY
PHOTOS
ANDREW WATSON; GLENN BEANLAND; OL IVER STREWE ; ALAN R ICHARDSON
BLUNT OF EXPRESSION AND FORTHRIGHT
OF OPINION, SHE HAS EARNED THE RIGHT
TO BOTH OF THESE TRAITS.
JESSIE’S PICKS
THE STAR PICKS HER FAVORITE
SPOTS IN SYDNEY
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2
3
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