By Caylie Moore, Features Editor
Local singer-songwriter Jesselyn James has stumbled her way through the darkness before, facing domestic violence, addiction and mental illness head-on throughout her teens and 20s. What she most wants people to know, however, is that she is a survivor — and that they can be, too.
The Michigan-raised, Alabama-reborn country musician has no problems sharing details about her past — whether in an interview room with Features Editor Caylie Moore or in a studio booth with Sony Music producer JJ Stevens — because she wants her story to inspire other people to keep chasing their dreams, even when they feel like they have the world on their shoulders.
As a domestic violence survivor who stayed with her abuser for a decade and struggled with drug addiction and mental illness for about half of that period, Jesselyn James knows what it’s like to feel helpless, especially — and perhaps paradoxically — after the worst parts are over.
“[That abusive relationship] took my life away for 10 years,” James stated, before going on to explain that even when the relationship was ended and justice was served, she was still forced to pick up the pieces of her life. “He went to prison. But I was left wondering: ‘What am I going to do with my life?’ I was so lost; I didn’t know where to start.”
In 2016, she made the move from Michigan to Alabama after her grandfather passed away and left their family chicken farm in Albertville to her father. James explained that there were a variety of reasons behind this decision, including the fact that she had lived in Alabama throughout 6th and 7th grade — and loved it.
Around the same year, however, James had become pregnant by her abuser, and being young and scared, she thought it would be best to stay close to her own parents while she figured out how to move forward in her own life.
But to figure this question out, James had to reflect on her short but complicated life and determine what made her her — who Jesselyn James was a person, what she liked, what she loved. Luckily, she knew exactly what to look to: her childhood.
“I remembered that when I was a little girl, the one thing that made me happy… was singing. So, I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to try to be a singer.’”
James, who dusted the lifelong dream off and started writing music and singing soon after, put her feet to the ground for about two years. “I dedicated everything into music,” she stated, adding that she had to balance her career with her life as both a single mom of two children and a chicken farmer.
Still, things were shaky at best for a long time. The then-pop singer even almost gave up on music entirely about three years ago, when her career was remaining stagnant and no audience seemed to develop around her music. It wasn’t until she put out an ad on one particular day that things started to make a turn for the better.
“I was looking for a guitar player to come play with me live at writers’ rounds in Nashville, so I put out an ad on Facebook, and out of nowhere, this man right here — JJ Stevens — sends me a message,” stated James. “He said he listened to my music and told me that he thought I could really… be something.”
Stevens, who helped Clever — another musician from Gadsden who has worked with Post Malone, Justin Bieber, Juice WRLD and even Jesselyn James herself on the 2026 song “Reckless Sin” — reach stardom, suggested James make the switch to country on account of her voice and the tones within it.
James was thrilled about the recommendation; she loved country, having developed a taste for it on the long drives between Michigan and Alabama when visiting her father during her youth, and had no problem returning to it.
And since returning to her roots in the past year, she has been “taking off,” as Stevens described it, gaining thousands of listeners on streaming platforms. She now works with a variety of professionals — including Kim Sandusky, Beyonce’s vocal coach, and Kartin Bankz, videographer for the music video for “Reckless Sin.” Things are looking up in so many ways in James’ life.
But for Jesselyn James, it’s not the fame that dictates what she does — it’s the fact that she gets to spread her message and potentially help thousands of other people who might not be able to get help otherwise. All of her songs, which feature real-life stories of her own struggles with domestic violence, addiction and mental illness, are written with the express purpose of supporting others going through the same things.
“Everything I write is something that I’ve been through,” she emphasized.
She really just wants one thing — to be able to help people like her get through situations like hers.
In her final thoughts, James added one last tip for future listeners: “Don’t let your past define you. Chase your dreams.”
Having performed at Christmas on the Coosa and Freedom Fest in 2025, Jesselyn James hopes to reach more locals through various upcoming events this year, too. She can be found on TikTok at @JesselynJames_, on YouTube at @Jesselyn_James, and on Instagram at @JesselynJames. Her music is available to stream on all major streaming platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.
