Following That Winding Road

When Lauren Jenkins was just 8 years old she told my mom she was ready to go out into the world and pursue her dreams. Her mom giggled and told her to wait just a little longer. So you could say when she finally left home at 15, it had been a long time coming.
“For some reason I was born with this crazy dream to live an abnormal life and be an artist, says Nashville-based singer. “As hard as this road has been at times, I could never choose any other path.” That path will lead Jenkins to West Ashley this week where she will play the Tin Roof this Friday, Dec, 18 along with fellow songstress Ingrid Andress.
“From the start, I’ve wanted to make a difference and touch people. I’ve believed that through music I could connect with people and make a difference,” says Jenkins. “We all have a purpose and a way that we can make somebody’s life a little better and since I was young this is the way I’ve wanted to do that.”
Not surprisingly, her winding road led her to Music City where she has since been signed to Big Machine Label Group, whose artist roster includes names like Taylor Swift, Reba McEntire, Hank Williams Jr. Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, The Mavericks, and many others. “It’s still hard to believe sometimes that I’m surrounded by people who support what I’m doing and I couldn’t be more grateful,” says Jenkins, who recently put a country spin on Mötley Crüe’s “Looks That Kill” for the cover album Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Mötley Crüe, which came out this summer.
Jenkins says that she hopes her life and music will encourage other people to keep taking risks and follow their own dreams. “It’s okay to make mistakes and to figure out your own path as you go. It’s okay to live outside of the box and to be exactly the way you are,” she says. “I want my little sister and every other girl in this world to know that it’s okay to have a crazy dream and to be bold enough to go for it. I’m following my crazy dream and I don’t regret it one bit.”
Lauren Jenkins will perform along with Ingrid Andress on Friday, Dec, 18 at the Tin Roof, located at 1117 Magnolia Road. For more information, call 571-0775 or visit www.charlestontinroof.com.