Stephan Jenkins
Encyclopedia
Stephan Douglas Jenkins (born September 27, 1964 in Indio, California
), is an American
musician best known as the lead singer, songwriter
, and guitarist
for Third Eye Blind
. Under Jenkins's leadership, Third Eye Blind has sold over eight million copies of four albums: Third Eye Blind
(1997), Blue
(1999), Out of the Vein
(2003), and Ursa Major
(2009). Jenkins wrote or co-wrote many 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
", and "Never Let You Go
".
and attended Henry M. Gunn Senior High School
. Stephan started his musical career early in life. He recalls banging out original works at the age of five, pulling out pots and pans on the floor of his kitchen at home in Southern California. When he was 13, his family briefly relocated to Madison, Wisconsin to support his father's career, but the Jenkins family quickly returned to the Bay just two years later. In 1987, he graduated as valedictorian of his class from University of California, Berkeley
with a B.A.
in English Literature, despite suffering from both ADHD and dyslexia
.
in 1992.
. They played small gigs around the bay for years and were, for the most part, unknown until they were signed in 1995 by Elektra Records. Jenkins has written or co-written every song on the band's four studio albums and one extended play album. He has seemed to favor the Gibson Explorer
guitars over most other electric models in his career, particularly during live performances.
'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
.
(2001) playing Bradley, the lead singer of the fictional film 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 Carlton was the subject of one of Ashton Kutcher
's practical jokes. In perhaps his biggest acting stunt, he starred in Art of Revenge (2003), in which he played the lead role Matthew Kane.
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
.
Jenkins currently lives in San Francisco, California. When asked about living as a high-profiled 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." According to Jenkins, he never drinks before a show and always drinks after a show.
Indio, California
Indio is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, located in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Colorado Desert region. It lies east of Palm Springs, east of Riverside, and east of Los Angeles. It is about north of Mexicali, Baja California on the U.S.-Mexican border...
), is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician best known as the lead singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
for Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
. Under Jenkins's leadership, Third Eye Blind has sold over eight million copies of four albums: Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind (album)
Third Eye Blind is the eponymous debut for the American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind, originally released on April 8, 1997. It spawned several singles, including top 10 charting "Semi-Charmed Life", "Jumper", and "How's It Going to Be"....
(1997), Blue
Blue (Third Eye Blind album)
* "Slow Motion" was originally released with only the chorus, due to concerns about its lyrical content. Soon thereafter, Elektra Records re-released Blue with an instrumental version. However, the full version of the song was released everywhere outside of the States and found its way around the...
(1999), Out of the Vein
Out of the Vein
Out of the Vein is the third album by American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. Released on May 13, 2003, it would be the group's first album with guitarist Tony Fredianelli, who replaced long time guitarist Kevin Cadogan in 2000...
(2003), and Ursa Major
Ursa Major (album)
Ursa Major is the fourth studio album from American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. Released on August 18, 2009 on the group's own Mega Collider label, Ursa Major was the group's first studio album in over six years...
(2009). Jenkins wrote or co-wrote many of the band's most notable hits, including "Semi-Charmed Life
Semi-Charmed Life
"Semi-Charmed Life" is Third Eye Blind's first single off their self-titled debut album, released in 1997. It was a major hit of the 1990s, reaching number four in the U.S., number one on the Modern Rock Tracks and the Top 40 in the UK. Furthermore, it has had a pervasive cultural impact, being...
", "Jumper
Jumper (song)
"Jumper" is a song by the American rock band Third Eye Blind, released on their 1997 self titled album, and written by vocalist Stephan Jenkins. Released as a single, the song peaked at #5.-Meaning:...
", "How's It Going to Be
How's It Going to Be
"How's It Going to Be" is a song by the American rock band Third Eye Blind, featured on their 1997 self-titled album. The B-side is a non-album track entitled "Horror Show", written by guitarist Kevin Cadogan and vocalist Stephan Jenkins...
", "Losing a Whole Year
Losing a Whole Year
"Losing a Whole Year" is a song by Third Eye Blind from their 1997 self-titled debut album. It was written by Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan. Released as a single, the song received positive reviews from music critics and charted on the Billboard Alternative Songs and Mainstream Rock charts...
", "Graduate
Graduate (song)
"Graduate" is a song by Third Eye Blind and written by Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan. The B-side, "Horror Show", was written by Jenkins and Cadogan as well and later released on the "How's It Going to Be" single in 1998. It reached number 26 on the Maintstream Rock Tracks chart in the U.S, and...
", "Deep Inside of You
Deep Inside of You
"Deep Inside of You" is a song from Bay Area band Third Eye Blind. It was the fourth single from the group's second album, Blue. It peaked at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100. It reached number 17 on the Adult Top 40 chart and number 39 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.- Track listing :# "Deep...
", and "Never Let You Go
Never Let You Go (Third Eye Blind song)
"Never Let You Go" is a song by American rock band Third Eye Blind, released as a single from their 1999 album, Blue. The song was very successful, peaking at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also reaching #1 on Canada's Singles chart....
".
Early life
Jenkins was born in Indio, California. He grew up in Palo Alto, CaliforniaPalo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
and attended Henry M. Gunn Senior High School
Gunn High School
Henry M. Gunn High School is one of two public high schools in Palo Alto, California. Gunn High School is a four-year high school with a current enrollment of just over 1,900 students. The Class of 1966 was the first class to graduate from Gunn High School. The academic year has two semesters with...
. Stephan started his musical career early in life. He recalls banging out original works at the age of five, pulling out pots and pans on the floor of his kitchen at home in Southern California. When he was 13, his family briefly relocated to Madison, Wisconsin to support his father's career, but the Jenkins family quickly returned to the Bay just two years later. In 1987, he graduated as valedictorian of his class from University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English Literature, despite suffering from both ADHD and dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
.
Puck and Natty
Jenkins first formed Puck and Natty (the name originating from the Shakespeare characters), a 'funky rap masta' group, with Detroit rapper Herman Chunn in 1992, after a failed experiment with his band Splash. 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, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
in 1992.
Third Eye Blind
Jenkins formed Third Eye Blind in 1993 with Kevin CadoganKevin Cadogan
Kevin Rene Cadogan is an American singer/songwriter, producer and rock guitarist. He is a founding member of the band Third Eye Blind. he performed with the band from 1994 to 2000...
. They played small gigs around the bay for years and were, for the most part, unknown until they were signed in 1995 by Elektra Records. Jenkins has written or co-written every song on the band's four studio albums and one extended play album. He has seemed to favor the Gibson Explorer
Gibson Explorer
The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar that made its debut in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its sibling, the Flying V. The Explorer was the final development of a prototype design which years later Gibson marketed under the name Futura.The...
guitars over most other electric models in his career, particularly during live performances.
As a producer
Jenkins produced Vanessa CarltonVanessa Carlton
Vanessa Lee Carlton is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York bars and clubs while attending university. Three months after recording a demo with producer Peter...
's second album Harmonium
Harmonium (Vanessa Carlton album)
Harmonium is the second album by American pop singer-pianist Vanessa Carlton, released by A&M Records in the United States on November 9, 2004 . Carlton co-wrote some of the album with Stephan Jenkins, her then-boyfriend and the lead singer of Third Eye Blind, who produced the album. Harmonium...
(2004) and co-wrote four tracks, including the lead single "White Houses". He co-produced Heroes & Thieves
Heroes & Thieves
Heroes & Thieves is the third album by Vanessa Carlton, released by The Inc. Records on October 9, 2007 . It is co-produced by Irv Gotti, Linda Perry and Third Eye Blind lead singer Stephan Jenkins, who produced Carlton's second album, Harmonium , and Carlton co-wrote the tracks with Perry and...
, Carlton's third album, with Irv Gotti, 7 Aurelius
7 Aurelius
Marcus Vest better known by his stage name Channel 7, formerly 7 Aurelius, is a singer, songwriter, and producer most noted for his work with The Inc. Records....
, and Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
.
Acting career
Jenkins made his acting debut with a cameo in the film Rock StarRock Star (2001 film)
Rock Star is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Herek and starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston. It tells the story of Chris "Izzy" Cole, a tribute band singer whose ascendance to the position of lead vocalist of his favorite band was inspired by the real-life story of Tim...
(2001) playing Bradley, the lead singer of the fictional film Black Babylon. He has also appeared in the former Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
series All That
All That
All That is an American live-action, sketch comedy-variety show that aired on the Nickelodeon cable television network featuring short comedic sketches and weekly musical guests. The theme song for All That was performed by TLC...
, and he appeared on the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
candid camera show Punk'd
Punk'd
Punk'd is an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series that first aired on MTV in 2003 and was created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, produced and hosted by Ashton Kutcher. It bore a resemblance to both the classic hidden camera show Candid Camera and to TV's Bloopers...
when Carlton was the subject of one of Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher
Christopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
's practical jokes. In perhaps his biggest acting stunt, he starred in Art of Revenge (2003), in which he played the lead role Matthew Kane.
Personal life
Jenkins ended a three-year relationship with actress Charlize TheronCharlize Theron
Charlize Theron is a South African actress, film producer and former fashion model.She rose to fame in the late 1990s following her roles in 2 Days in the Valley, Mighty Joe Young, The Devil's Advocate and The Cider House Rules...
in October 2001. Some of Third Eye Blind's third album, Out of the Vein
Out of the Vein
Out of the Vein is the third album by American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. Released on May 13, 2003, it would be the group's first album with guitarist Tony Fredianelli, who replaced long time guitarist Kevin Cadogan in 2000...
, appears to explore the emotions he experienced as a result of that breakup. From 2002 to 2007, Jenkins dated Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Lee Carlton is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York bars and clubs while attending university. Three months after recording a demo with producer Peter...
.
Jenkins currently lives in San Francisco, California. When asked about living as a high-profiled 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." According to Jenkins, he never drinks before a show and always drinks after a show.