Jeff Jenkins

About Jeff Jenkins

Originally from East Tennessee, Bassist Jeff Jenkins grew up around the entertainment business in the Smoky Mountains of Pigeon Forge. As a young child, his parents had a Gospel Quartet that traveled around the area in the late 1970s that performed for various churches and functions. He remembers being able to read names like ‘Fender” and “Peavey” before entering Kindergarten in 1979. Following a long run in the school music programs that began in fourth grade and proceeded to his high school graduation in 1992, Jeff was formally trained on piano and saxophone in the School Band programs, and took higher level Music Theory and Composition classes taught by University of Tennessee Alumni, Glenn Rogers.

Its was the summer before his Junior Year of High School that he would learn of his lifelong passion for making music when he felt the call to pick up his first electric bass. In the late 1980s, the hottest things were MTV, VH1, and “Live” music. Jeff became enamored with the music scene of Southern California and the Sunset Strip and began his lifelong trek of an ever-evolving professional bassist and entertainer.

Following brief seasons attending Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Jeff quickly saw that the education he sought and was ready for would be found on the road, getting personal, hands-on training from some of the best musicians and singers in the area. In 1994, Jeff started his first professional band, Cheyenne. Cheyenne was a Country Music band based out of Jefferson City, Tennessee and in the three years of being together would go on to perform opening spots for Country Music acts such as Clay Walker, Pirates of the Mississippi, and in 1996 won CCMA Band of the Year out in Las Vegas and performed at the Hacienda Hotel and Casino. Jeff would later move on to perform with other East Tennessee County acts such as Stone Road, Tony Justice, along with beginning to build a name for himself as a session bassist, working as house bassist for DayStar Recording Studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. At DayStar, Jeff would have the opportunity to record for many famous recording groups including the Blackwood Brothers Quartet, Louise Mandrell, and Mila Mason.

In the winter of 2002, Jeff took a wonderful opportunity to become the House Bassist and Vocalist for a dinner show in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee called the Black Bear Jamboree. The show featured a talented cast of musicisans, singers, dancers, and actors and would incorporate Country, Bluegrass, Gospel, NYC Broadway Musicals, 50s-60s-70s, and more into a 90 minute show. The show ran 7 days a week and performed 2 shows per day, 50 weeks per year. After working this amazing and rigorous schedule for 6 years, Jeff put a band together once again and decided to give Nashville one more try. While the new band wouldn’t last more than a season, the move to Nashville proved to be exciting and rewarding, giving Jeff a new lease on his career and a well need boost for his passion.

After quickly settling in Nashville with the previous group, Jeff began to meet other players and network among the Country Music scene. Within a short time, he would make a way for himself as a solid bassist with a vast repertoire of music knowledge, and the ability to also sing and perform.

In 2008, Jeff would get the call from none other than Teddy Gentry, bassist for Country Supergroup Alabama and legendary Music Producer. Teddy was producing an artist who was new to Nashville but had already had minor success in the Rock world with his band, Big Dismal. That artist would be Eric Durrance with Wind Up Records based out of NYC. After a successful audition with Teddy and Eric in a Music Row office, Jeff would not only be asked to be Erics bassist and background vocalist, but would be given the title of Music Director and Band Leader. Eric would go on later that year to be the opening act for the CMT Tour produced by CMT Television and would open the tour for National Artists Lady Antebellum and Jason Aldean. Also during that time, Jeff along with his bandmates with Eric Durrance would star in their first video for the single, “Turn It Off”, written by Teddy Gentry and would make the top 100 video countdown on CMT.

2009 to 2011 would find Jeff getting back to being more of a sideman, finding spots working and recording for Andrea Young, along with subbing out the bass players on the road with LoCash (Cowboys) and Josh Gracin. In 2011 Jeff’s path would cross with a new up and coming songwriter Eric Paslay, who had written #1 songs for Jake Owen, Eli Young Band, Lady Antebellum, and Love and Theft. Paslay would go on to record and release his own music and his management would secure him a spot for 2012’s Country Throwdown Tour sponsored by Kingsford and produced by Vans Warped. Following an amazing tour working alongside such major acts as Gary Allen, Rodney Adkins, Justin Moore, Josh Thompson, Sunny Sweeney, and at the time, new act Florida Georgia Line. It would be at this time, that Jeff would meet and get to know Jason Schmidt who was the original drummer for Florida Georgia Line.

Following that tour, Jeff and Jason would find themselves quickly putting together a band for another singer songwriter, Brian Davis. Brian was writing songs with County Artist Brantley Gilbert and would go on to secure the opening spot for Brantleys Arena tour in 2014. Moving quickly from that tour, Brian Davis and Band would move on to the Jaegermister Tour featuring Country and Rock artist, Aaron Lewis.

In late 2014, Jeff would go on to support a good friend who he had met early in his move to Nashville. Jeff had met Craig Wayne Boyd at many jam nights at a historic underground venue on Nasvhille's 8th Avenue South, and the two would work together whenever their schedules would permit, including a stint as the House Band at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville. Craig would go on in 2014 to star on NBC’s “The Voice’ primetime television show. Craig would win America’s heart and the fans voted him the Season 7 winner of the show. On the heels of such a win, Craig would immediately form a band for touring and placed his trust in Jeff as his Music Director and Band Leader. In 2015 Craig and the band would tour tirelessly doing over 213 shows in that single year. More shows would continue on into 2016, but Jeff found opportunities to move on into other positions, touring with Josh Gracin, Little Texas, and also performing shows with Garth Brooks recording band, The G Men. In the fall of 2016, Jeff’s longterm friend and musical Mentor, Mike Chapman, most notably known as Garth Brooks recording bassist with the G Men would unfortunately pass away of a short fight with Cancer. Garth would call Jeff, at Mike Chapmans request before his passing, and would ask him to perform in Mike’s place for the G Men’s induction into the Musicians Hall Of Fame. That performance would be a pinnacle point in Jeff’s career and would move him into many other opportunities working with the G Men.

Following the birth of Jeff’s third daughter in 2016, Jeff decided to leave the road behind and start cultivating a career path that would allow him to work at home in Nashville to be there for his wife and family. Beginning to put together a hefty schedule that would include shifts on Nashville’s Lower Broadway Entertainment venues, along with recording sessions making records for new Country acts such as Tucker and doing demo work for Warner Chappell Music and Brantley Gilbert. In 2019 Jeff joined the Worship team at Restoring Hope Church in Hendersonville under the Crabb Family of Gospel Music fame. Jeff still performs two services per week with the worship team there and they have recorded a studio record and a live record featuring Pastor Aaron Crabb of the Crabb Family. Jeff has also shared the stage with Jason Crabb of Red Street Records here in Nashville, along with backing up special guests from all over the Gospel and CCM music genres.

With over 30 years of professional experience as a Bassist, Vocalist, Arranger, Producer, and Entertainer, Jeff Jenkins has what it takes to bring music to life. Understanding first and foremost that the ‘song” comes first and dictates where the direction goes. The bassist’s role is one of support. Jeff can write and produce bass parts that give a firm foundation to build upon, which also giving life and lift to the arrangements in a way that tweaks the listener’s ears, leaving them wanting more. Thank you for considering Jeff for your musical works and we promise to deliver the results you have in mind in hopes of not only meeting your demands but also being a catalyst that will slingshot your music into the upper atmospheres of your dreams.

Fun Facts

• Name: Jeff Jenkins
• Band Member Since: 2022
• Instrument(s): Bass, Upright, Vocals
• Favorite Band: Little Texas
• Favorite Song: Wichita Lineman