Jewel first came to prominence a dozen years ago as a pop singer-songwriter, so it might be a bit of a surprise to see her touring this year in a summer package headlined by country traditionalist Brad Paisley.

But Jewel, whose first country album is being produced by John Rich, is hardly a slave to genre. In fact, she's convinced that her loyal fans will be quite taken with Brad when they come out for the shows.

"I'm [so] excited for my fans to get to know him, because my fans demand that their artists are the real deal," Jewel told the national radio show GAC Nights: Live From Nashville. "They don't want somebody that's just a pretty face that somebody else writes hits for and is a manufactured thing. They're gonna love him."

Jewel already does. Her current single, "Stronger Woman," marks the first time she's taken a song into the Top 20 on the national country charts. But Brad committed to putting her on the bill long before it was clear that she would have an audience in country music.

"I'm so excited that he made me his special guest on the road," she said. "He did that before my song went Top 20, so it just shows that he liked me and wasn't just trying to angle for something that was doing well and waiting to see if it did well, which means a lot."

The tour begins June 11 in Albuquerque, N.M., and runs through Oct. 18 in San Antonio. Brad and Jewel will be joined on the trek by Chuck Wicks and singer and "Dancing With The Stars" alumnus, Julianne Hough.