Introducing… Jessie James Decker: Part 1

Jessie James Decker may be best known for her E! reality show Eric & Jessie: Game On, with her husband Eric Decker, but she wants people to know that singing was her first passion.

“A lot of people just kind of look and they think I woke up one day, I was on a reality show and decided I want to be a country singer and that’s extremely offensive,” she told Sounds Like Nashville. “I have been singing and songwriting since I was nine years old, coming to Nashville when I was 15. As soon as I graduated high school, two weeks later, I moved here, got a record deal three months later and have been working and busting my little booty ever since. Singing is my number one passion.”

Jessie’s record deal led to her debut self-titled album, Jessie James, released in 2009. On it was her single, the pop-country track “Wanted.” While she loved the project, it wasn’t exactly what she had in mind…

“I’m proud of that record, but it wasn’t 100% what I had envisioned. You know, I came to Nashville wanting to be the next Shania Twain, the next Faith Hill, but when I was finally offered a record deal, it was one of the most successful people in our record business and he’s a legend, LA Reid,” said Jessie. “I was super passionate about it but it was more of a pop angle and my heart just wasn’t as into it, you know? But, now he has signed me again and he’s like ‘let’s do a country record.’ So now we’re here and it’s just amazing because it’s come full circle.”

See what else Jessie told us about her journey as an artist, through yodeling competitions to her record deal to her resurgence into country music with “Lights Down Low.”

Tune in every Wednesday at 11/10c throughout the month of September for more with the “Lights Down Low” singer. Be sure to follow Jessie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and pick up her single from iTunes.