Lyfe Jennings

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Lyfe Jennings

| image = Lyfe_Jennings_WBLS_Off_the_Record_2.png

| caption = Jennings in 2023

| image_size =

| background = solo_singer

| birth_name = Chester Jermaine Jennings

| alias =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1978|6|3}}

| death_date =

| origin = Toledo, Ohio, U.S.

| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|bass|piano}}

| genre = {{hlist|R&B|soul}}

| occupation = {{hlist|Singer-songwriter|record producer|instrumentalist}}

| years_active = 2002–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Gwendolyn Scharkowski|February 2, 2016|March 15, 2017|reason=divorced}}

| label = {{hlist|E1|Columbia/SME|RED|Warner| Asylum|Music World}}

| associated_acts = {{flat list|

}}

| website =

}}

Chester Jermaine "Lyfe" Jennings (born June 3, 1978){{cite web|url=http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100019596|title=Lyfe Jennings - Oxford Reference}} is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and instrumentalist. He plays the guitar, bass, and piano which he integrates into his music. The New York Times referred to him as a "socially minded R&B singer".{{cite news |last=Caramanica |first=Jon |date=June 17, 2008 |title=Ex-Convict Sings Odes to Street Life Strewn With Hope |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/arts/music/17lyfe.html |access-date=2008-06-17 |work=New York Times}}

Biography

Lyfe Jennings was born on June 3, 1978, in Toledo, Ohio, to a working-class family and was the middle of five kids. When he was a teenager, Jennings started to perform with his brother and two cousins. In the beginning of the 1990s the group disbanded. During this time, Jennings began to get into legal trouble and his musical career came to a halt when he was sent to prison at the age of 14 for firebombing a house, killing a woman.{{cite web | url=https://www.pennlive.com/life/2022/10/rb-singer-lyfe-jennings-claims-he-was-in-prison-with-serial-killer-jeffrey-dahmer.html?outputType=amp | title=R&B singer Lyfe Jennings claims he was in prison with serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer | date=October 3, 2022 }}Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/dJWA2y21XKA Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20170218222043/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJWA2y21XKA&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJWA2y21XKA| title = Lyfe Jennings on Being in Prison from 14-25, $1M Record Deal Fresh Out | website=YouTube| date = February 18, 2017 }}{{cbignore}}

Career

In October 2013, Jennings released Lucid. Tree of Lyfe, recorded primarily in his home studio, followed in June 2015.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/308649/lyfe-jennings/biography|title=Lyfe Jennings|magazine=Billboard}}{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/jennings-lyfe|title=Jennings, Lyfe - Dictionary definition of Jennings, Lyfe - Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary|website=www.encyclopedia.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/bio/lyfe-jennings/3035923|title=Lyfe Jennings Biography - ARTISTdirect Music|website=www.artistdirect.com}} When asked about his current musical mindset, Jennings stated: "Everybody feels like they have to reinvent themselves. I don’t think you can reinvent the truth. It is what it is. I’m not focused on reinvention. I want to go deeper. This album reaffirms the reasons why people started loving this music in the first place."{{cite web|url=http://s2smagazine.com/2015/03/26/exclusive-s2s-visits-lyfe-jennings-at-home-talks-fatherhood-music-sings-new-song-love-video/|title=[EXCLUSIVE] S2S Visits Lyfe Jennings At Home [VIDEO] - S2SMagazine.com|work=S2SMagazine.com|access-date=April 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416004215/http://s2smagazine.com/2015/03/26/exclusive-s2s-visits-lyfe-jennings-at-home-talks-fatherhood-music-sings-new-song-love-video/|archive-date=April 16, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|url=http://www.jetmag.com/entertainment/radio-active/jet-interview-lyfe-jennings/|title=JET Interview with Lyfe Jennings|work=JetMag.com}}

Personal life

Jennings was previously engaged to Joy Bounds, the mother of his two oldest children. In October 2008, Jennings, after arguing with Bounds, followed her to her family's house in Smyrna, Georgia. At the residence, he destroyed the door, fired shots in the street, and led police on a high-speed chase that ended when he crashed his 2005 Chevrolet Corvette. In September 2010, he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison after he pleaded guilty to multiple charges arising from the incident.{{cite web|url=http://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/music-theater-dance/2010/10/29/Lyfe-Jennings-serving-prison-sentence-in-Georgia/stories/201010290030|title=Lyfe Jennings serving prison sentence in Georgia|website=Toledo Blade|access-date=January 21, 2019}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/singer-lyfe-jennings-heads-back-to-prison-retires-via-twitter/|title=Singer Lyfe Jennings Heads Back To Prison, Retires Via Twitter|website=CBS News|date=September 23, 2010 }} On February 2, 2016, he married Gwendolyn Scharkowski, a German model. They have a son. On March 15, 2017, Gwendolyn filed for divorce.{{cite web|url=https://bossip.com/1554102/exclusive-lyfe-jennings-to-estranged-wife-im-not-sure-the-kid-is-mine-demands-dna-test-in-divorce-battle|title=Exclusive: Lyfe Jennings to Estranged Wife – I'm Not Sure The Kid is Mine, Demands DNA Test In Divorce Battle|website=Bossip|date=May 2017|access-date=May 1, 2017}}

Discography

;Studio albums

Lyfe 268‒192 (2004)
The Phoenix (2006)
Lyfe Change (2008)
I Still Believe (2010)
Lucid (2013)
Tree of Lyfe (2015)
777 (2019)

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20011127084616/http://www.lyfeonline.com/ Official site]
[http://music.yahoo.com/ar-6313268---Lyfe-Jennings Lyfe's Yahoo! Music profile]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20051019114947/http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/jennings_lyfe/artist.jhtml Lyfe's VH1 Profile]

Category:Articles containing video clips

Category:1978 births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century African-American male singers

Category:20th-century American male singers

Category:20th-century American singers

Category:African-American pianists

Category:African-American record producers

Category:American hip-hop singers

Category:American rhythm and blues guitarists

Category:American male guitarists

Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters