By day she is a sixth-grade student at Scripps Middle School, but by night Crystal Jenkins is working tirelessly to become the next big country music star.
Jenkins has a demo of five cover songs out now, and is putting finishing touches on a CD of original songs to be released in September. She hopes to call it ‘Crystal Lynn,? the stage name dad Jeff Jenkins said she will probably use.
‘It’s not a question of if she’ll make it, but when,? said Jeff. ‘She learns songs by listening to them on repeat, over and over again. She has an awesome ear for music.?
Crystal is in her first year of learning to play guitar, and is already an accomplished violin player with the school orchestra at Scripps, a talent she is also using for country music.
?(Singing) was just a thing I liked when I was little, my dad would sing to me,? she said. ‘When I was three, I started singing. My dad played the guitar while he did country songs with my grandpa.?
Crystal prefers country music like her father, while brother Bud is split between country and rap. Sisters Tricia and Anna, and brother Jeffrey, like rap music.
‘We fight over CMT and MTV,? said Jeff.
Crystal has also branched out to sing some rock songs, some by her favorite artists Pat Benatar and Sheryl Crow.
‘I also like Shania Twain, I’m practicing some of her songs. I like Gretchen Wilson and Toby Keith too,? she said. ‘I practice with a rock band called ‘Stay Tuned? on Monday nights.?
‘They’ve kind of adopted her,? said Jeff.
Crystal made her very first demo recording with Danny Nelder, and she said her teachers at Scripps had it played over the P.A. there.
‘People I didn’t even know were coming up to me,? she said.
Crystal completed her second demo, now available through her website and at appearances, with Danny Crabtree at Dungin Studios in Sterling Heights.
‘Mark Richardson (a country singer now in Nashville) also worked with Danny Crabtree, and he’s working on a couple of songs for Crystal’s CD,? said Jeff.
‘My cousin Darren Sayre (of Davison) has given me a lot of support, he comes over every Thursday night and practices guitar with me,? Crystal said. ‘He wrote some songs for my CD. To me, he’s not a cousin, he’s a friend I can look up to. Everytime he comes over, I feel more comfortable and I dance more.?
Crystal recently performed ‘Strawberry Wine? at a benefit in Pontiac, where her autograph was auctioned for $50.
‘She had like 166 people on their feet,? Jeff said. ‘She got up on stage and it’s like this kid was born to be there.?
‘I don’t like dancing on stage,? said Crystal. ‘I need some stage presence.?
Crystal’s music has become a family affair, with her sisters both working on songs with her. She’s worked on playing guitar with Tricia, and Anna, a poet, has written a song for her called ‘Daddy Walk a Little Straighter,? which still needs to be set to music.
Tricia and mom Lavada do Crystal’s hair and makeup for her performances. She will perform in the Scripps? Talent Show on May 28. On May 29, she will perform at the Lapeer Moose Lodge.
Crystal travels to Nashville on June 19 to perform in an Unsigned Talent Showcase for major record labels.
‘It will be my first time there, we’ll be there for two days,? she said. ‘I’m real excited. I’m looking up to all the challenges I have to face.
‘I really like the fact my family’s in this with me, because they’ll always be behind me.?
Crystal’s demo includes covers of ‘Some Things I Know? by Billy Gillman, ‘Picture? by Sheryl Crow and Kid Rock (with Darren Sayre), ‘The First Cut is the Deepest? by Sheryl Crow, ‘Strawberry Wine? by Deana Carter, and ‘Cowboy, Take me Away? by The Dixie Chicks.
‘This CD sounds like it came right out of Nashville,? Jeff said. ‘The studio mikes love this kid.?
Jeff and Lavada got Crystal portable studio equipment so she can practice at home, and since then Crystal said she and her dad practically live in the studio room.
‘I come home from school, grab a snack, then go practice. I do my homework while I’m listening to music,? said Crystal, who rarely takes a day off from practicing her music.
‘When people say I’m good for an 11-year-old, I don’t really like it,? she said. ‘I want them to notice me for my talent, not my age.?
Crystal’s gotten a lot of encouragement from teachers and friends at school.
‘My friends really support me,? she said. ‘Sometimes my teachers ask me to sing for the class.?
For more information about Crystal Jenkin’s upcoming CD, and her demo now available, visit her website at http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/crly2022.
Demos are also available for free at her appearance on May 29 in Lapeer.