Gary Jenkins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gary Jenkins
Gary Jenkins in live stage performance 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 famous as the lead singer of the R&B group called Silk. Gary grew up in Nashville. He is the youngest of seven children in his family.

Gary Jenkins' Music Journey

Early Talents and Education

Gary started singing in church when he was seven years old. He even became a special singer on a TV show called The Bobby Jones Gospel Show on BET for many years. By age nine, Gary was very good at playing the guitar. He learned it quickly after just a few lessons. He also taught himself to play keyboards, drums, and other guitars.

When Gary went to Tennessee State University (TSU) in Nashville, he studied music. He focused on playing the piano and singing. He was part of the TSU Jazz Collegians group. He even got to play piano with the famous jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie when Gillespie visited the school. Gary also performed in several opera shows. He 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. He became the lead singer for the group Silk, which was formed by Keith Sweat. Silk's career started strong with their first album, Lose Control, released in 1992. This album had popular songs like "Freak Me" and "Lose Control".

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

Silk's second album, Silk, was also very successful. They then released another album called Tonight. In 2001, they released their fourth album, Love Session. Gary and Silk became well-known across the country. They appeared on many TV shows. These included 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 toured all over the world with Silk. They visited countries like Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, France, the Netherlands, and Germany.

Solo Work and Acting

In 2002, Gary left the group Silk. He spent the next 18 months writing, recording, and producing his first solo music project. This album was called The Other Side. He used live instruments for his music.

Gary also studied acting in school. He performed 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. Some of these plays 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.

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

Reuniting with Silk

In 2006, Gary performed with Silk during Keith Sweat's "Sweat Hotel" tour. The concert was later released on a DVD. After this, Gary reunited with Silk in late 2007. 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 by an instrumental artist named Journell Henry, also known as J. Henry.

Gary Jenkins' Solo Albums

• The Other Side (Anaphora Records, 2007)