Brief Biography

Charles Daniel “Dan” Jewell

Brief Autobiography

My wife Joyce and I met and graduated from Martin Junior College (now University of Tennessee Southern). Our son Barry was born in 1961. After working at two state universities, Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana, and Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky, I became an Assistant English Professor, Department Head, and Division Chair at Tennessee’s first Community College in Columbia, Tennessee. Later, I served as an Associate Professor of English and Drama and Dean of Humanities at Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tennessee.  In my academic career I directed numerous college theatrical productions -- everything from "The Odd Couple” to “Antigone" (including three of my own plays). I’ve also written a couple of award-winning books – a mystery novel and a collection of poetry.

Joyce too became an academic, completing her B.A. in Psychology at Middle Tennessee State University in 1986 and her M.A. in Psychology at Western Kentucky University in 1993. We were both charter members of the faculty and staff at Volunteer State Community College. Joyce passed away November 22, 2018. Our marriage was grounded in love and friendship, and my grief at her passing will only end when I reach the end myself. I moved to Texas in 2025 to be closer to my son and his family.   

Although I only know three chords on my old Silvertone flattop, thanks to a former student and Nashville musician, Joyce and I once cut a demo of my songs in the famous Woodland Studio. People say that in the ‘70s and ‘80s over 80% of the city’s population had cut at least one demo. I think it was more like 90%.

Woodland is the famous  Nashville studio where artists Joan Baez, Neil Diamond, Emmy Lou Harris, and Robert Plant, as well as Johnny Cash, Mother Maybelle Carter, and Gordon Lightfoot (thought I'd drop a few names there) have recorded through the years.