Emma Jacob

"Someone like Emma doesn't come along very often." The speaker is Karen Staley, a premier Nashville songwriter whose songs have been cut by Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes and Reba McEntire, among many others. She first learned about Emma Jacob through a friend who heard her sing at a showcase. The friend told her that Emma was just a teenager but that she was doing an extraordinary version of one of Staley's more challenging songs titled "With You." The following week, a skeptical Staley met with Emma's manager and listened to a live recording of the performance. "It brought tears to my eyes," says Staley. "Not just anyone can sing it because of the vast range, but Emma wears it out. I was touched that someone so young could convey the sentiment so well." Through the years she developed a powerful yet subtle voice and the ability to wring emotion out of every line of a song. The rest - a passion for music and life, her charismatic stage presence, and her clear sense of purpose - are quickly evident to those who've come to know Emma in person.