About Me
VINX FANS : Thank you so much for the love you shared during my recent health scare. I look forward to seeing you out there in the world. V. ( July 18th, 2007 )
IN SHORT VINX HAS MADE A LOT OF MAGIC WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE. THIS PIONEER ARTIST HAS A WONDERFUL STORY THAT IS TOO RICH TO SHORTEN. TALK ABOUT THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED!
The 70's : Vinx attended Kansas State University on a track scholarship. In 1977, hate nearly took away Vinx's athletic career and his life when racists burned down his house, along with the home of another black family living in his Kansas City suburb. Vinx was severely burnt by the fire. He overcame his injuries and three years later made the world's second longest leap in the triple jump. This qualified Vinx for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. When President Jimmy Carter called for an Olympic boycott that year, Vinx's athletic goals were put on hold.
A deejay in college, Vinx also performed with the Kansas State Jazz Band. In 1978, Taj Mahal invited Vinx to perform with him at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. When Vinx's Olympic dream was deferred, he turned his back on track, but after two years returned as an assistant coach for the womens track team at the University of Texas. Vinx continued his musical quest by performing with Carmen Bradford, Eric Johnson, Roscoe Beck and Christofer Cross. In Texas, Vinx rediscovered his Olympic ambitions and began working toward the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. After an injury at the LA trials took him out of the running for the 84 Olympics, Vinx stayed in Los Angeles and became one of the first pioneers of the personal fitness training craze for the rich and famous. His client list included Stevie Wonder, George Hamilton and Marisa Tomei, Lauren Hutton, Beverl DAngelo, Rex Smith, TV mogul George Schlatter, Courtney Conte of Disney and Kelly LaBrock to name a few.
The 80's : Vinx's early years in Los Angeles brought him much triumph and tragedy as he transitioned from his athletic past to his musical future. In 1987 Vinx landed his first recording session with Jazz saxman Ernie Watts on his Grammy awarded Musican project. Following Tom Jones' recording of the Vinx ballad "Touch My Heart", Vinx toured extensively with the likes of Rickie Lee Jones, The Bus Boys, Teena Marie, Toni Childs and Robben Ford. His commercial agency work included appearances in both Sprite and Levis 501 Blues ads.
In 1989, Vinx's father, Leslie Jackson Parrette Sr. (Vinx's greatest musical influence) was mugged and murdered during a family vacation in Detroit. Vinx left the United States for Europe with his all drum band. Vinx and the Barkin Feet played to capacity audiences at the Montreaux Jazz Festival, performing after Miles Davis and before Wayne Shorter. Back in the states, Herbie Hancock invited Vinx to perform on his Showtime Coast to Coast TV Special, where Vinx played with Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby, Lou Reed, B.B. King, Herbie Hancock, Kenny G. and Woody Harrelson.
The 90's : In 1990, Sting and Miles Copeland signed Vinx to Pangaea / I.R.S. Records. (Sting's vanity label). Following Vinx's performance on Sting's Soul Cages CD, Vinx recorded his first release (Rooms In My Fatha's House) for Pangaea. The album featured guest performances from Sheryl Crow, Sting, Herbie Hancock, Taj Mahal, Branford Marsalis, Roscoe Lee Brown and Mothers Finest. Vinx toured for 13 months with Sting's "Soul Cages" tour as the solo opening act and the percussionist/background vocalist in Sting's band. The tour ended with a Carnegie Hall taping of MTV Unplugged with Sting and Elton John. Vinx's "While The City Sleeps" was used in the opening dance sequence of the prime time TV show In Living Color.
In 1992, Vinx moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and released his 2nd CD titled I Love My Job. The album featured Zap Mama, Patrice Rushen and Dan Kuramato of Hiroshima and members of Ozomatli. Vinx toured the world jazz festival circuit with great response and returned to the States for an appearance on the Arsenio Hall Show and The Tonight Show with old friend Branford Marsalis. Vinx's song "There I Go Again" was chosen for the highest rated episode of the hit TV series Northern Exposure. The network received so many calls about the song that it was chosen for an album release of Northern Exposure's most requested music.
In 1993, Vinx released his 3rd CD, The Storyteller, which featured Stevie Wonder, George Howard, Cassandra Wilson and Omar. Vinx toured the world and recorded on Cassandra Wilson's award winning CD Blue Light Til Dawn.
1994 was a busy year. Vinx moved to Boston and started the year with the Stewart Copeland and the Rhythmatists tour. The summer brought Vinx out for a three month tour with the Spin Doctors, Cracker and The Gin Blossoms, an appearance on the Bertice Berry Show, and performances & CO-MC work for all three days of Woodstock 94. In 1994, 1995 and 1996, Vinx was invited by Miles Copeland to his 12th Century French castle for a writers retreat. Vinx co-wrote at the castle with such notables as Brenda Russell, Cher, Michelle Shocked, Jil Sobule, Ty Herndon, Crystal Waters, Kevin Savigar, Beth Nielsson-Chapman, Mark Cawley, Pat McDonald and Patty Smyth.
1995 took Vinx to Africa for a tour of nine countries in West and Central Africa. Vinx and his drum trio were cultural attaches for the U.S. State Department. On his return, Vinx recorded on Stevie Wonder's Conversation Peace CD.
In 1996, Vinx was inducted into the Kansas State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Vinx released his 4th CD titled Lips Stretched Out. Vinx-the-painter got a rep and held his first gallery showing of his paintings. Vinx headed to Atlanta for his performance at the 1996 Olympiad.
Vinx created an innovative Euro dance project called Jungle Funk were he invited ex-Living Colour rhythm section musicians Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbish to tour. 1997 - 1999 brought Vinx and Jungle Funk to over 150 shows throughout Europe and Australia with the release of Jungle Funk's first limited edition disc -- highlighting the early days of the band. Vinx returned to the U.S. for work with the Baltimore based dance gurus "The Basement Boys" and some recording on Crystal Waters' track "Mama Told Me." In 1998
, Jungle Funk got signed to the German label, ESC Records
(Zebra/Warner Brothers in the U.S.) with a new release, recorded live in Austria. Vinx received a grant from AT&T to work with Washington D.C.'s famed Eastern High School Choir.
During 1999, Vinx traveled to Berlin to record an album with Traumton Records titled Big n Round. Vinx relocated back to Los Angeles and co-wrote with Brenda Russell, Stewart Copeland and Darius Rucker. Vinx established his own StankFish Recording Studio, Midnight Archer Publishing Co. and a film script/production company -- Dreamsicle Arts & Entertainment.
The 21st century : In 2000, Vinx's Beverly Hills recording studio was robbed with a loss of over $120,000 of recording equipment and priceless masters. Some of Vinx's friends performed at the Hollywood House of Blues to help. A wonderful night of music when musicians took care of their own. That show featured Jackson Browne, Ozomatli, Darius Rucker, Stewart Copeland, Michelle Shocked, Vance Gilbert, Gretchen Lieberum, Mitchell Long, Armand Sabal-Lecco, Munyungo Jackson, Brenda Russell, producer Greg Poree, Billy Kent, Joan Jones, Rogerio Jardim, Nini Monroe, Sonja Marie, Angel Figuroa, Jon Hensley, Mabi, Alonzo Bodden and a host of others.
Throughout 2001, Vinx continued his work with Kieth Resnick and The Lili Claire Foundation that focuses on children with Williams Syndrome. Vinx recorded and produced a children's CD that featured Coolio, Michael Chiklis, Shari Belafonte, Tyler Mane and others.
In 2002 Vinx and The Crawdaddys teamed up to record a CD for The Bright Horizons Foundation for Children. They raised over $60,000 for the effort. Over 40% of people who are homeless are children. To date more than 40 Bright Space playrooms have been created across the country.
2003, Will Downing recorded "Don't Talk To Me Like That" written by Vinx, Mark Cawley and Brenda Russell on his Sensual Journey (Universal) release. Vinx lent his SCAT and background vocals to the track, which was chosen as the single and charted on the Urban AC charts.
During 2004, Vinx and Peermusic Publishing
released a standards record comprised of Hoagy Carmichael ballads and other classic songs written by songwriters on the Peer roster. Vinx added his eclectic twist to songs like "Stardust", "Georgia on my Mind", "Skylark" AND, not to forget, Donovan's "Mellow Yellow" featuring Stewart Copeland.
2004 - 2007, Vinx continued working with the U.S. State Department as a Cultural Attache, steering his efforts towards HIV awareness in Mozambique. In between his European tours, Vinx produces GROOVE EXOTICA a percussion project that teams him up with Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident, EOTO, Isaac Hayes), Tony Phillips (Seal, Lion King) and a young artist named Samantha Stephens -- she shows great promise. Vinx and fusuin band Native Vibe, recently toured Sierra Leone to raise funds for the Ballanta Music School in Freetown. This school was destroyed during the country's brutal cival war. Vinx traveled to Accra to perform during the 49th birthday of Ghana's Independence. Vinx continued with his many social and cultural projects. Vinx was honored to write a song for Travis Larsson's CD and to produce Druzina, the Slovakian folkloric band.
In 2006-7, "Professor Vinx" joined the faculty at
BERKLEE SCHOOL OF MUSIC in Boston for their summer sessions. Watch out students, he'll be back again in the summer of 2008 ! .
So far this year : March 6th, 2007, Vinx returned to Accra Ghana as artistic director for the 50th Independence Day of Ghana Nu Jazz Festival which included Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack, Quincy Jones and many more great international artists.
Upcoming in 2008 : Vinx is planning an international DRUM/DANCE Festival and more Soul Kitchen Songwriter Retreats at his 1906 Georgia plantation home/studio. tours in South Africa, Europe, Asia and Brazil. Also watch for the re-birth of Jungle Funk.
November 15th I will release my greatest CD to date. It is called "50", this CD will feature 50 new songs, a book and DVD in a box set. My audience deserves as much value as possible.
Stay tuned and get in touch ! Vinx is looking for participants for his very popular Songwriter Retreats. Stay, dine, write, record and participate in creativity and technique workshops with Vinx face-to-face. For more info go to Eklectic Soul's MYSPACE Page .
Click here to buy CDs at www.VINX.com
CONTACTS :
Vinx's Manager : Derrick Black 678.357.4261 Eklectic Soul and Songwriter SoulKitchen Retreats
for Booking call Dan LaVoie 732.226.3498: in Europe contact http://www.marianne-rogler.de/media/vinx/vinx-media.html
VINX FANS : I welcome you to my home in search of a better song. Stay in touch. I love my job. V. ( summer, 2008 )
