Stephan Douglas Jenkins ( ; born September 27, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, and the frontman of the
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
band
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1993. After years of lineup changes in the early and mid-1990s, the songwriting duo of Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan signed the band's first major-label recor ...
. He began his musical career in 1992 as part of the short-lived rap duo Puck and Natty, alongside Detroit rapper Herman Anthony Chunn. Following the breakup of the duo, Jenkins and guitarist
Kevin Cadogan
Kevin Rene Cadogan (born August 14, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and guitarist. A founding member of the band Third Eye Blind, he performed with the band from 1993 to 2000. He co-wrote some of Third Eye Bl ...
formed Third Eye Blind in 1993. The band released their
eponymous debut studio album in 1997, which went multi-platinum in the United States. Since then, they have released six more albums: ''
Blue
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...
'' (1999), ''
Out of the Vein
''Out of the Vein'' is the third studio album by American rock band Third Eye Blind. Released on May 13, 2003, ''Out of the Vein'' is the band's first album with guitarist Tony Fredianelli, who replaced longtime guitarist Kevin Cadogan in 2000. It ...
'' (2003), ''
Ursa Major
Ursa Major (; also known as the Great Bear) is a constellation in the northern sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory. Its Latin name means "greater (or larger) bear," referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa ...
'' (2009), ''
Dopamine
Dopamine (DA, a contraction of 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) is a neuromodulatory molecule that plays several important roles in cells. It is an organic compound, organic chemical of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families. Dopamine const ...
'' (2015), ''
Screamer
The screamers are three South American bird species placed in Family (biology), family Anhimidae. They were thought to be related to the Galliformes because of similar beak, bills, but are more closely related to ducks (family Anatidae),Todd, F. ...
'' (2019), and ''
Our Bande Apart
''Our Bande Àpart'' is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. It was released on September 24, 2021.
Background
After releasing their sixth studio album, '' Screamer'', in October 2019, Third Eye Blind was ...
'' (2021). As part of Third Eye Blind, Jenkins has received one
''Billboard'' Music Award and eight California Music Awards.
Jenkins released a live album, ''Live at Amoeba'', as a
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...
exclusive vinyl in 2016. Jenkins made his debut as a solo artist as a feature on
Run-DMC
Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of ...
's 2001 single "Rock Show". In the same year, Jenkins made his acting debut with a cameo in the film ''
Rock Star''. Jenkins also appeared in the television series ''
All That
''All That'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by Tollin/Robbins P ...
'' (2003) and ''
Punk'd
''Punk'd'' is an American hidden camera–practical joke reality television series that first aired on MTV in 2003. It was created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, with Kutcher serving as producer and host. It bears a resemblance to both the ...
'' (2005), in addition to pursuing his first lead role in the 2003 thriller ''
Art of Revenge''. As a producer, Jenkins helmed the production on albums by The Braids,
Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Lee Carlton (born August 16, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York City bars and clubs while ...
, and Spencer Barnett.
Early life
Jenkins was born in
Indio, California
Indio (Spanish language, Spanish for "Indian") is a city in Riverside County, California, Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Colorado Desert region. It lies east of Palm Springs, Califo ...
. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Wisconsin where his father was a professor of political science at the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
, after graduating from
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
. They later moved to
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto (; Spanish language, Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree kno ...
, when Stephan was six.
When he was seven years old, his parents divorced. His mother became an alcoholic. During elementary school, he suffered from
dyslexia
Dyslexia, also known until the 1960s as word blindness, is a disorder characterized by reading below the expected level for one's age. Different people are affected to different degrees. Problems may include difficulties in spelling words, r ...
, causing him to repeat first grade. His father, who later got positions at Stanford and then the University of California, Berkeley, would help him with his dyslexia. He attended
Henry M. Gunn Senior High School and graduated in 1983.
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. In 1987, he graduated from
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
, with a
B.A.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in English Literature.
Jenkins began musical work as a drummer. During high school, he performed with ''Fast Forward'', consisting of Jenkins on drums, 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 new bassist Scott Lockhart and formed the trio Splash. Stanford University student Lawrence Schoeffler made a music video for their song "Suzaie" as part of his graduate portfolio in film production, which was broadcast on MTV Basement Tapes (1983) and won a Bronze Medal at the International Film & TV Festival of New York.
Puck and Natty
Jenkins then formed Puck and Natty (the name originating with the Shakespeare characters, but also serving as a playful poke at a well-known Bay Area jazz duo,
Tuck & Patti
Tuck & Patti are an American jazz duo consisting of guitarist William Charles "Tuck" Andress (born Oct. 28, 1952 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) and singer Patricia "Patti" Cathcart Andress (born October 4, 1949, in San Francisco).
Music career
Guitarist Tu ...
), a 'funky rap masta' group, with Detroit rapper Herman Anthony 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
''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to by its short title, ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran fo ...
'' in 1992. In a 1999 interview with the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', Jenkins provided a synopsis of the way things went down. "'You want me to do a song for your TV show that I've never seen? No problem,' recalled Jenkins. 'It was $7,800. I bought groceries.'" The duo later changed their name to Puck & Zen because of a complaint from the jazz duo, Tuck & Patti.
Third Eye Blind and mainstream success
![Stephan Jenkins 2013](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Stephan_Jenkins_2013.jpg)
Jenkins formed Third Eye Blind in 1993 with
Kevin Cadogan
Kevin Rene Cadogan (born August 14, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and guitarist. A founding member of the band Third Eye Blind, he performed with the band from 1993 to 2000. He co-wrote some of Third Eye Bl ...
. They played small gigs around the
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
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
EP. 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.
Other work
Producing
Jenkins has produced for
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1993. After years of lineup changes in the early and mid-1990s, the songwriting duo of Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan signed the band's first major-label recor ...
and several music artists. In 1997, he co-produced Third Eye Blind's
self-titled debut studio album with
Eric Valentine
Eric Dodd, known professionally as Eric Valentine, is an American record producer who began his career as drummer and producer in the heavy metal band T-Ride.
He subsequently produced albums for artists such as Good Charlotte, Lostprophets, Tak ...
. The duo also helmed production on The Braids' debut studio album, ''Here We Come'' (1999). He co-produced follow-up ''
Blue
Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when obs ...
'' (1999) and ''
Out of the Vein
''Out of the Vein'' is the third studio album by American rock band Third Eye Blind. Released on May 13, 2003, ''Out of the Vein'' is the band's first album with guitarist Tony Fredianelli, who replaced longtime guitarist Kevin Cadogan in 2000. It ...
'' (2003) with Arion Salazar and Third Eye Blind, while acting as the sole producer on ''
Ursa Major
Ursa Major (; also known as the Great Bear) is a constellation in the northern sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory. Its Latin name means "greater (or larger) bear," referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa ...
'' (2009), ''
Dopamine
Dopamine (DA, a contraction of 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) is a neuromodulatory molecule that plays several important roles in cells. It is an organic compound, organic chemical of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families. Dopamine const ...
'' (2015), and ''
We Are Drugs
''We Are Drugs'' is a studio EP by American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. Preceded by the singles " Cop vs. Phone Girl" and "Company of Strangers", ''We Are Drugs'' was released on October 7, 2016.
Background
As early as 2012, Third Eye ...
'' (2016). In 2004, Jenkins co-wrote four songs for and produced
Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Lee Carlton (born August 16, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York City bars and clubs while ...
's second studio album, ''
Harmonium
The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. T ...
''. He co-wrote five songs for Carlton's follow-up, ''
Heroes & Thieves
''Heroes & Thieves'' is the third album by American singer-songwriter 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 C ...
'' (2007), in addition to co-producing the effort with
Irv Gotti
Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. (born June 26, 1970), professionally known as Irv Gotti, is an American DJ, music producer, record executive, and the CEO and co-founder of Murder Inc. Records. He is best known for producing multiple number-one rec ...
and
Linda Perry
Linda Perry (born April 15, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. She was the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, and has since founded two record labels and composed and produced hit songs for ...
. In 2015, Jenkins produced Spencer Barnett's extended play, ''13 Summers In''. In 2020, Jenkins co-wrote
Blackbear's "I Feel Bad".
Acting
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
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
series ''
All That
''All That'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by Tollin/Robbins P ...
'', and he appeared on the
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
candid camera show ''
Punk'd
''Punk'd'' is an American hidden camera–practical joke reality television series that first aired on MTV in 2003. It was created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, with Kutcher serving as producer and host. It bears a resemblance to both the ...
'' when
Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Lee Carlton (born August 16, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York City bars and clubs while ...
was the subject of one of
Ashton Kutcher
Christopher Ashton Kutcher (; born February 7, 1978) is an American actor, producer, entrepreneur, and former model. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a People's Choice Award, and nominations for two Young Artist Awards, a S ...
's practical jokes. He also starred as the lead role in the 2003 independent thriller, ''
Art of Revenge''.
Personal life
In 1987, Jenkins graduated from the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
with a
B.A.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in
English literature
English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...
.
Jenkins was diagnosed with
chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or ME/CFS, is a complex, debilitating, long-term medical condition. The causes and mechanisms of the disease are not fully understood. Distinguishing core symptoms are ...
preceding the release of ''
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1993. After years of lineup changes in the early and mid-1990s, the songwriting duo of Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan signed the band's first major-label recor ...
'' (1997).
Jenkins was in a three-year relationship with actress
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron ( ; ; born 7 August 1975) is a South African and American actress and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actresses, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 20 ...
until October 2001. Some of
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1993. After years of lineup changes in the early and mid-1990s, the songwriting duo of Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan signed the band's first major-label recor ...
's third album, ''
Out of the Vein
''Out of the Vein'' is the third studio album by American rock band Third Eye Blind. Released on May 13, 2003, ''Out of the Vein'' is the band's first album with guitarist Tony Fredianelli, who replaced longtime guitarist Kevin Cadogan in 2000. It ...
'', explores the emotions Jenkins experienced as a result of their breakup.
From 2002 to 2007, Jenkins dated
Vanessa Carlton
Vanessa Lee Carlton (born August 16, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York City bars and clubs while ...
.
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."
Jenkins is a supporter of the
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...
movement.
He is an advocate for
gay rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 3 ...
, stating that he was influenced by
queer culture
Sexuality and gender identity-based cultures are subcultures and communities composed of people who have shared experiences, backgrounds, or interests due to common sexual or gender identities. Among the first to argue that members of sexual mi ...
in San Francisco.
In 2016, Jenkins voiced support for
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States senat ...
in the
2016 U.S. presidential election.
In a 2022 interview on podcast Guys We Fucked
Stephen Jenkins stated that "tour is bad for you," stating that he hated how he looked in 2020 short film ''Motorcycle Drive By''.
Discography
Live albums
Guest appearances
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, Stephan
1964 births
Living people
American male bloggers
American bloggers
American male singer-songwriters
American rock guitarists
American male guitarists
American rock singers
American rock songwriters
Male actors from California
Singer-songwriters from California
Third Eye Blind members
University of California, Berkeley alumni
People from Indio, California
Musicians from San Bernardino, California
People from Palo Alto, California
Guitarists from California
20th-century American guitarists
20th-century American male musicians
Gunn High School alumni