Born on a military base in Vicenza, Italy, the burgeoning singer relocated to central Georgia during the 1990s. She used the new location to her advantage, making weekly trips to Nashville to hone her songwriting amidst like-minded musicians. Her demo recordings soon made their way to David Massey, president of the rejuvenated Mercury Records, who subsequently brought her to the attention of Def Jam chairman L.A. Reid. James soon inked a contract with Island/Def Jam, and the label partnered her with songwriting guru Kara DioGuardi to help craft material for a debut album. "Blue Jeans" introduced her confident interpretation of country-pop in early 2009, and the singer's full-length debut -- the self-titled Jessie James -- appeared later that summer. A follow-up album, Daughter of a Gypsy, was announced but never released. A new single, "When You Say My Name," appeared early in 2012. ~ Andrew Leahey