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Stephan Jenkins

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This article is about the vocalist. For other similarly named people, see Stephen Jenkins.
Stephan Jenkins
Jenkins in 2011
Jenkins in 2011
Background information
Birth nameStephan Douglas Jenkins
Born (1964-09-27) September 27, 1964 (age 60)
Indio, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
  • drums
  • percussion
  • bass
Years active1990–present
Labels
Website3eb.com

Stephan Douglas Jenkins (born September 27, 1964[1]) is an American musician best known as the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist for Third Eye Blind. Under Jenkins's leadership, all five of Third Eye Blind's albums ranked in the top 40 of Billboard's Top Album Sales chart: Third Eye Blind (1997) ranked 25th, Blue (1999) ranked 40th, Out of the Vein (2003) ranked 12th, Ursa Major (2009) ranked 3rd, and Dopamine (2015) ranked 7th.[2] Jenkins wrote or co-wrote all of the band's most notable hits, including "Semi-Charmed Life", "Jumper", "How's It Going to Be", "Losing a Whole Year", "Graduate", "Deep Inside of You", "Never Let You Go" and "Blinded".

Early life

Jenkins was born in San Bernardino, California and moved to Palo Alto, California at age 6.[3] He attended Henry M. Gunn Senior High School and graduated in class 1983.[3] Jenkins got interested in music early in life. He recalls creating original musical works at the age of five using pots and pans on the floor of his kitchen at home in northern California. When he was 13, his family relocated to Madison, Wisconsin to support his father's career, but the Jenkins family returned to the Bay Area two years later. In 1987 he graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in English Literature.[4][5]

Music career

Earliest projects

Jenkins began musical work as a drummer. During high school, he performed with Fast Forward, consisting of Jenkins on drums with Nick Dement (guitar), Ben Austin (bass), and Greg Magel (guitar). Though the precocious Jenkins was still in high school, the other three were students at neighboring Stanford University. With the breakup of Fast Forward, Austin and Magel departed; Jenkins and Dement added a new bassist and formed the trio Splash.[citation needed]

Puck and Natty

Jenkins then formed Puck and Natty (the name originating from the Shakespeare characters), a 'funky rap masta' group, with Detroit rapper Herman Chunn in 1992. Puck and Natty was short lived; however, their track, "Just Wanna Be Your Friend" landed on a soundtrack album of the hit TV show Beverly Hills, 90210 in 1992.[5]

Third Eye Blind

Jenkins formed Third Eye Blind in 1993 with Kevin Cadogan. They played small gigs around the San Francisco Bay Area for years and were, for the most part, unknown until they were signed in 1996 by Elektra Records. The band's deal with Elektra was later reported as the largest publishing deal ever for a previously-unsigned artist. Jenkins has written or co-written every song on the band's five studio albums and one extended play album. Jenkins won two California Music Awards for best songwriter along with bandmate Cadogan; in addition, he was nominated three years in a row as best vocalist and won artist of the year.

As a producer

Jenkins produced Vanessa Carlton's second album Harmonium (2004) and co-wrote four tracks, including the lead single "White Houses". He co-produced Heroes & Thieves, Carlton's third album, with Irv Gotti, 7 Aurelius, and Rick Rubin. In 2015 Jenkins produced Spencer Barnett's EP "13 Summers In."

Acting career

Jenkins made his acting debut with a cameo in the film Rock Star (2001) playing Bradley, the lead singer of the fictional band Black Babylon. He has also appeared in the former Nickelodeon series All That, and he appeared on the MTV candid camera show Punk'd when Vanessa Carlton was the subject of one of Ashton Kutcher's practical jokes. He also starred as the lead role in the 2003 Independent thriller, the Art of Revenge.

Personal life

Jenkins ended a three-year relationship with actress Charlize Theron in October 2001. Some of Third Eye Blind's third album, Out of the Vein, appears to explore the emotions he experienced as a result of that breakup. From 2002 to 2007, Jenkins dated Vanessa Carlton.[4][6]

Jenkins currently lives in San Francisco, California.[7] When asked about living as a high-profile musician, he stated "Am I a rock star? Yeah, I guess. I also get to live in North Beach and go to a pub and drink my pint and go to a café and drink my coffee. I carry groceries home on the tank of my motorcycle. I find pleasure in things that are simple. Is that a rock star's life? It is for me."[5]

References

  1. ^ "California Birth Index", "Stephen D Jenkins, born 27 Sep 1964 San Bernardino County, Mother's Maiden Name KIRK", hosted at Ancestry.com (subscription required)
  2. ^ "Billboard Chart History". Billboard.com. Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  3. ^ a b Harrington, Jim (1997-06-06). "Blind-sided". Palo Alto Online. Retrieved 2017-07-01. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  4. ^ a b Julian Guthrie (2003-04-20). "He can see clearly now". San Francisco Chronicle. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b c Joel Selvin (1999-11-28). "Blind Ambition". San Francisco Chronicle. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ "Interview: Vanessa Carlton". Slant Magazine. October 4, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
  7. ^ Shaheem Reid (November 28, 2006). "Irv Gotti Maps Out Inc. Comeback With Vanessa Carlton, Lloyd, Ja Rule". MTV News. Retrieved 2006-11-30.
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