Jonell began singing at a young age, inspired by her mother’s love of jazz and Big Bands. She was particularly drawn to male voices, like Otis Redding, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, and Dan Fogelberg. She eventually performed jazz in Louisville piano bars.
Jonell moved from Louisville to Bowling Green to attend WKU, where she met Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt in 1978 or 1979. She started playing with local musicians, then playing full-time with the Ken Smith Band at venues such as the Golden Branding Iron, Michael’s Pub, the Iron Skillet, and Picasso’s. She also played in the band Yo’ Mamma, with Anne Meyers, Kathy Stamps, and Kathy Mac.
In 1996, Jonell released her debut album, a compilation of Townes covers called Around Townes. This brought her to the attention of Bonnie Raitt producer Don Was, who put a band together with Jonell as the lead singer; members included guitarist Mark Goldenberg, keyboardist Benmont Tench, and drummer Ringo Starr. Named the New Maroons, they recorded seven songs and played two gigs before the project was shelved. Jonell then signed with MCA and began recording in Nashville and Los Angeles. Her version of “Stop in the Name of Love” was used in the 1998 film, Hope Floats.
Jonell continued to record and publish records in the 2000s, in between raising her sons. She also became part of the Freedom Singers, who perform songs that were once banned or censored.
“I couldn’t be where I am were it not for the underpinnings, the roots that I built -- all the tenacity I had to have to play the dives -- and the friends I made. It was not an easy time to live but I made some of the best friends of my life.”