Gus Jenkins facts for kids

Augustus D. "Gus" Jenkins (born March 24, 1931 – died December 22, 1985) was an American musician. He was a talented pianist, singer, and bandleader who played blues and R&B music. Gus Jenkins was also known by other stage names like The Young Wolf, Little Temple, and Piano Bo. Later in his life, he used the name Jaarone Pharoah.

In 1956, Gus Jenkins had a big hit song called "Tricky." This song was an instrumental, meaning it had no singing. It reached number 2 on the Billboard R&B chart.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Gus Jenkins was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He learned to play the piano, and his style was inspired by another blues pianist named Walter Davis.

Gus started his music career by touring with a group called Sammy Green's Hot Harlem Review. He also played piano for famous singers like Big Mama Thornton and Percy Mayfield. In the late 1940s, he moved to Chicago, a city known for its blues music.

First Recordings

In January 1953, Gus Jenkins made his first recordings for Chess label. He played with Walter Horton on harmonica and Willie Nix on drums. However, these songs, including one called "Eight Ball," were not released right away. He also played with David "Honeyboy" Edwards on some of his recordings at Chess.

Later in 1953, Gus recorded more songs for the Specialty label in Los Angeles. For these recordings, he used the name Little Temple. He recorded songs like "Cold Love" with Jimmy Liggins and other musicians.

Success and Later Career

Gus Jenkins stayed in Los Angeles for the rest of his life. While he continued to play music, he also learned woodworking. He performed with different bands, including Johnny Otis' band.

The Hit Song "Tricky"

In 1955, Gus recorded "I Miss My Baby" for the Combo label. Then, in 1956, he recorded his biggest hit, "Tricky," for the Flash label. This instrumental song became very popular. It reached number 2 on the R&B chart and number 79 on the Billboard pop chart.

Starting His Own Record Label

After "Tricky," Gus released more songs on Flash, like "Spark Plug" and "Payday Shuffle." In 1959, he decided to start his own record company called Pioneer International. He started this label with Clayton Metzler.

Gus released many records on Pioneer International until 1962. Many of these were instrumental songs featuring his piano or organ playing. Some songs also featured a singer named Mamie Perry. He later recorded for the General Artist label, but these songs were not as successful. However, his song "Chittlins" was released by Tower Records in 1964. Tower Records was part of Capitol.

Later Life

By 1970, Gus Jenkins had changed his name to Jaarone Pharoah. He continued to perform music around Los Angeles. He passed away in 1985 at the age of 54.