Singer Ginuwine burst onto the music scene in 1996 with now classic, urban love album “Ginuwine…The Bachelor” which spawned the dance hit, “Pony” and was certified double platinum.
Three years later he released “100 Percent Ginuwine” that had the hits “Same Ol’ G.” 2001’s “The Life” sold over one million copies and spawned the Billboard Top 100 hit, “Differences.” Two years later, Ginuwine released his fifth studio album, “The Senior,” which had the singles “Stingy” and who could forget one of the ladies favorite anthems, “In Those Jeans.”
“Music is what I love to do. When I was a kid I wanted to be on stage. Being on stage I feel like nothing can bother me there. I feel like I’m on top of the world there,” he said. “I am a singer and entertainer and I know I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for the fans. I really appreciate those fans.”
As he turns 50 this year Ginuwine, whose given name is Elgin Lumpkin, reflects on those early years with his parents who had a huge effect on his life growing up. And even later on in life when they died.
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After he lost both of his parents within a year of each other. His mother lost her battle to cancer in 2000, a year after his father committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.
“My dad committed suicide so that’s close to my heart to fight against. Anytime someone is speaking that way, we shouldn’t take it lightly because you never know what’s on a person’s heart or in a person’s mind. We have to pay attention,” he said. “When you don’t talk and hold so much hurt inside, you start thinking ‘Maybe I shouldn’t be here.’ Look at these people going into schools and shooting people and killing themselves. It’s ridiculous. We have to take it seriously.”
The singer went on to urge people to take control of their mental health by talking to people they trust. “The first thing you have to do is always find somebody you can talk to. I found my church home that way by talking to ministers and friends. I never really went to church and that was a different place for me and I felt the love there. Whenever I felt that way, they were around to talk to me.”
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“A lot of times, men like to keep stuff in and that’s the worst thing that you can do. I always tell younger guys that the best thing to do is to talk about it and I try to be open for people to talk to because once you’re gone, you’re gone. There’s no coming back from that.”
He and his wife, rapper Sole, are using their celebrity status to help the less fortunate. The power couple partnered with the Special
