Jessie J is an English top-charting musician, singer, and songwriter who is widely known outside of her home country. She started her music career early, as an 11-year-old in a West End musical called Whistle Down the Wind. After proving her talent there, Jessie J went on to study at BRIT School and eventually signed a deal with Republic Records that led to her 2011 debut album, Who You Are.
But Jessie J isn’t just the first British female artist who had six singles off one solo album charting in the top 10 UK Singles Chart. She is also very dedicated to charity and has taken plenty of actions to help the less fortunate. Most of her efforts focus on saving and improving the lives of young people, which is always a worthy cause.
Perhaps her most well-known charitable effort was her shaving her head in 2013. She announced it on Twitter, stating: “It’s hair, it will grow back. Even if it takes two years, if it saves lives, it’s worth it. Even if it’s one life, that’s something.”
During the fundraising event Red Nose Day organized by Comic Relief, the famous singer had her head shaved. This simple act that brought her closer to experiencing a part of what cancer patients go through has raised over £500,000 for the charity.
“I wanted to do something that wasn’t just for today and wasn’t only for five minutes; it’s going to last a few months. It will remind me, and hopefully, others, that every day you should do something good if you can,” she had said about shaving her head. Jessie was also involved with another project funded by Comic Relief — Body & Soul, whose mission is to help young people who have HIV.
Jessie J also appeared on the Children in Need UK telethon which broadcast on the BBC. The event took place in 2011 at the Manchester arena, where Jessie J performed her hit song Nobody’s Perfect.
In March 2012, she headlined a series of shows in the Albert Hall to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust, alongside Florence and the Machine, Pulp, and comedian Jason Manford. These shows raised more than £14 million for the charity over the years, which shows how significant they are in keeping the Teenage Cancer Trust afloat.
The famous singer has also worked with Believe in Magic, UK children’s charity dedicated to granting wishes to terminally ill children in the UK. In 2012, Jessie J took to the stage with Daniel Sullivan, her 7-year-old fan who suffered from leukemia, to perform Laserlight.
As a big part of the music industry, Jessie J doesn’t only make the songs that resonate with us — she is a positive example that everyone should follow to the best of their ability. Jessie J has recognized her power and responsibility as a superstar, and she uses it to raise funds for charity as well as raise awareness of deadly illnesses that we need to research more to cure them reliably. As such, she is undoubtedly a positive force, and we hope to see her continue her charitable work.
