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Lyfe Jennings: Toledo Ohio
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Lyfe Jennings (born Chester Jennings in Toledo, Ohio) is an African American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and instrumentalist. He plays the guitar, bass, and piano which he integrates into his music.
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Lyfe started his musical career as a young boy in a church in Toledo, OH. His love for music led him to join a group that included two of his cousins and his older brother. After splitting Lyfe continued his interest in music. As stated in the song "Ghetto Superman" The Phoenix, Lyfe lost his father at an early age. In 1992, at the age of 14 Lyfe went to jail.
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Born in Toledo Ohio, Lyfe grew up in a working class family, the middle of five kids. He first began singing in church and, by the time he was a teen, he'd joined 'The Dotsons,' a small family vocal act consisting of his older brother and two cousins. With a sound similar to New Edition's, the Dotsons won local talent shows and recorded a demo, which Lyfe laughs, "went nowhere." Yet despite the lack of success, Lyfe was getting offers from local producers to go solo. Those dreams came to an abrupt halt when at 16, Lyfe, who'd fallen in with bad company, was sentenced to a jail sentence that resulted in him serving 10 years, 8 months and 13 days hard time. It was while inside the joint that Lyfe discovered that music was more than a hobby.
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By January 2003, Lyfe had showcased his talent to a nation-wide audience on "Showtime In Harlem" (The Apollo). He received a standing ovation for his acoustic performance of original material, and made his mark by winning the amateur competition five times. "I felt blessed just knowing that at least somebody appreciated my struggle, my experience and my life." During his success at the Apollo, Lyfe began to independently sell his EP "What Is Love". Two songs from the EP, "What Is Love" & "She Got Kids" , garnered regular spins at local radio, which aided in the sale of thousands of EPs. To add to Lyfe's success, calls began to pour in from countless agents, promoters and record labels, which prompted the Ohio native to move to NYC to make his dream come true. Soon after Lyfe arrived in New York, he wrote and co-produced a song for a major label, made a cameo in a music video, appeared in publications and performed many solo shows and opening acts for major recording artists, including the most memorable opener in front of a sold out crowd @ Radio City Music Hall for Hip-Hop star Nelly, and his spontaneous serenade to New Yorkers during the October 14th blackout @ The Cafeteria in Chelsea.
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Lyfe's musical career began as a young boy in a church choir in Toledo. Music was his soul's escape and soon led him to join The Dotsons, a young group that infused the talents of Lyfe's two cousins and older brother, Jay. In the early 90's, The Dotsons became men moving in their own directions. Jay wrote "One on One" for R&B artist Keith Sweat and now sings with Laid Bac, an R&B singing group. Lyfe found his love for music again while doing some time in prison. He began to play the guitar, sing, write and even started a music program in the Ohio institution.
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Lyfe, a native of Toledo, Ohio, entered the music world in 2004 after the release of his critically acclaimed, platinum debut Lyfe 268-192. Hailed as gritty and raw, the album created devoted fans from everywhere. With its brutally honest lyrics, Lyfe walked listeners down his rough, turbulent road, brilliantly giving them an edgy autobiographical history lesson that made many able to relate to him. He captured an even broader audience last year with his sophomore effort, The Phoenix, which expanded on his story, taking listeners through different phases of a man with new fame and money. The Phoenix featured the smash hit and cautionary tale, “S-E-X,” and made him a household name.
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