Lyfe Jennings in Concert

Lyfe Jennings Live

Over a series of powerfully compelling releases since 2004, Lyfe Jennings has established himself as one of the R&B world’s most unique artists, one who’s able to reflect on his experiences in life and love with rare honesty and authenticity.

Audiences have seen these qualities in Jennings ever since the then-unknown, Toledo-born singer grabbed their attention by winning five straight nights of an amateur competition at New York’s legendary Apollo Theater in 2002. His first major chart success came in 2006 with “S.E.X.,” a thoughtful duet with LaLa Brown that made an earnest and timely statement about choosing love above other temptations.

Released in 2019, Jennings’ seventh studio album 777 is another showcase of his exceptional talent and versatility as a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. Whether performing solo or teaming with guests like Algebra Blessett on the tender “Tell Me” and Tank on the sultry “Like This,” Jennings bares his heart with a directness and vulnerability reminiscent of the artists who most inspired him, a list that includes Erykah Badu and D’Angelo as well as icons such as Al Green and Curtis Mayfield. His live performances prove he belongs in that same artistic lineage.

Lyfe Jennings Background

Raised in Toledo, Ohio, Lyfe Jennings had an early start in music, performing in his church choir and in a family group called the Dotsons. After experiencing hard times in his youth, he decided to change his life’s direction by pouring his energy into performing and writing. A five-night string of victories in the Apollo Theater’s amateur competition in 2002 brought him to the attention of the music industry.

Released in 2004, Jennings’ debut album Lyfe 268-192 was praised for his poignant and authentic brand of contemporary R&B and gritty old-school soul. It earned him his first Top 10 entry in Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. Combining his debut’s thoughtful social commentary and softhearted balladry with tougher hip-hop tracks featuring Three 6 Mafia and Young Buck, Jennings went all the way to the top of the Billboard 200 with 2006’s The Phoenix.

Jennings has impressed critics and wowed audiences with the depth and versatility he displays on such albums as 2010’s I Still Believe and 2019’s 777. In 2018, Jennings toured the US as a special guest of Brian McKnight before continuing to perform nationally as a headliner.