Gary Jenkins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gary Jenkins
Gary Jenkins performing live in 2005
Background information
Birth name	Gary Jenkins
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	R&B
Instruments	Vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, keyboards
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Anaphora
Associated acts	Silk, Blayse

Gary "Lil G" Jenkins is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer of the R&B group Silk. Gary was born and grew up in Nashville. He is the youngest of seven children in his family.

Gary Jenkins' Music Journey

Early Life and Musical Talents

Gary started singing in church when he was just seven years old. His singing was so good that he became a featured soloist on BET's The Bobby Jones Gospel Show for many years. By the age of nine, Gary had learned to play the guitar very well after only a few lessons. He also taught himself to play many different keyboards, drums, and other guitars.

College and Jazz

While attending Tennessee State University (TSU) in Nashville, Gary studied music. He focused on playing the piano and singing. He was part of the famous TSU Jazz Collegians group. During this time, he was chosen to play the piano for the legendary jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie when Gillespie visited the school. Gary also performed in several opera shows and played with the Aristocrat of Bands, which is TSU's marching band.

Joining the Group Silk

In 1992, Gary tried out for a new R&B group that Keith Sweat was forming. He got the part and became the lead singer for the group, Silk. Their career took off with hit songs like "Freak Me" and "Lose Control." These songs were from Silk's first album, Lose Control, released in 1992.

Silk's Success and Touring

Silk's career lasted for almost ten years. They sold more than five million records around the world. In 1994, Gary also appeared with his group Silk and their mentor Keith Sweat on the song "U Will Know." This song was part of the soundtrack for the movie Jason's Lyric.

Their second album, Silk, was also very successful. This led to another album called Tonight. They continued to release music, including their fourth album, Love Session, in 2001. The group became well-known across the country. They appeared on popular TV shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Live with Regis and Kathi Lee, MTV, BET, Soul Train, Jenny Jones, Ricki Lake, Moesha, Showtime at the Apollo, and Motown Live. Gary and Silk also toured all over the world. They visited countries like Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, France, the Netherlands, and Germany.

Solo Music and Acting

In 2002, Gary decided to leave Silk. This happened after some disagreements within the group and their record label, Elektra, closing down. For the next year and a half, Gary worked on his first solo music project. He wrote, recorded, and produced his own album, The Other Side.

Gary also studied theater in school. He acted in plays like Hello, Dolly! and Harvey. His first professional acting role was in 1997 in a play called Sneaky. Since then, he has appeared in many plays that toured across the country. These include Fake Friends, Perilous Times, Secret Lovers, Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion, What Men Don't Tell, Whatever She Wants, and Love Unbreakable by Lavarious A. Slaughter.

New Groups and Reunions

Gary is also a member of an R&B supergroup called Blayse. Other members include Marc Nelson and Tony Grant (who were in Az Yet), and Terrell Phillips (who was in Blackstreet). This group has not yet released any songs.

In late 2007, Gary reunited with Silk. He had appeared with them during Keith Sweat's "Sweat Hotel" tour in 2006. After that, they started touring and recording music together again. In June 2017, Gary was a special guest singer on a song called "Cupid's Arrow." This song was released by urban adult instrumentalist Journell Henry, also known as J. Henry.

Gary Jenkins' Solo Albums

• The Other Side (Anaphora Records, 2007)