Celebrity Parents

Womanista Exclusive: Jessie James Decker Opens Up About Her Childhood and Musical Influences

(Photo: Twitter / @wideopencountry)Jessie James Decker is a singer, wife, mom and fashion […]
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(Photo: Twitter / @wideopencountry)

Jessie James Decker is a singer, wife, mom and fashion designer, and all her creative energy has resulted in a brand-new EP, Gold, which was released on Feb. 17.

The upbeat offering is just the latest in Decker’s long line of country pop releases, and in a new interview, the star shared that her childhood experiences are continuing to influence the music she makes today.

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Click through to find out how Decker’s childhood impacted her career, and to learn a little bit more about the family-focused star and her goal-worthy life.

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Decker was born on a military base in Italy, and her dad’s military career and her mom’s television career caused her to move around a lot as a kid.

“I loved it because I was able to adapt to many different situations and meet new people,” she said in a new video, “but it was hard because I never felt like I had a home base.”

“Because of that, I never really found that group of friends and had a hard time in school, so I would just turn to music.”

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Smooches from LA?

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She began singing at nine years old and released her debut album in 2009.

“I always remember singing,” Decker said. “I don’t know if there was one thing in particular that got me into singing, but as far back as I can remember, I was just so obsessed with singing and performing for my big Italian family. I’ve always loved it, I knew it was what I wanted to do.”

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(Photo: Epic Records)

Decker released a brand-new EP,ย Gold, on Feb. 17, and had a hand in co-writing two of the EP’s five songs. The breezy tracks combine Decker’s soulful country roots with a little bit of California cool, making for a unique sound sure to have you dancing.

You can download Decker’s new EP here.

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Happy Valentine’s Day to the loves of my life โคโคโค๏ธ

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Along with her singing career, Decker is also a full-time mom, and the singer made no secret of how much her family means to her. Decker and her husband, New York Jets wide receiver Eric Decker, share 2-year-old daughter Vivianneย Rose and 1-year-old son Eric Decker II.

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(Photo: Instagram / @jessiejdecker)

The singer has never been afraid to get real about her body, and recently spoke out against Internet bullying she was receiving after haters criticized a bikini selfie.

“Thanks for pointing out my flaws,”ย Decker, who underwentย breast reduction surgery over the summer, wrote in response to a negative comment.ย “Thanks for also deciding when I should share something personal about my breasts,” she told another before thanking her fans for their support.

“Love y’all because you accept my scars and dark pits,” sheย wrote.

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Watch the clip above to hear more, including the reason Decker took up yodeling (hint: LeAnn Rimes was involved!)