STARKVILLE — Singer Jon Banks fell in love with gospel music when he was 5 years old.
Like many before him, he derived greater joy from the empowering, uplifting message of gospel than the catchier, more earth-bound lyrics of pop and R&B.
Banks, a Starkville native, just released his first single “Let’s Worship,” available on iTunes and Amazon.com. His debut album, “According to Jon, Chapter 1” will drop in the spring.
He’s performed at gospel concerts in Detroit, Mich., and Birmingham, Ala. He says he’ll be able to sing and play piano within a year.
Not a bad way to break into the music business for an adult, much less an 11 year old.
The diminutive Banks can be found roaming the halls of Armstrong Middle School, where he’s a sixth-grade student whose popularity is growing by the day. Just look for the kid wearing polished leather shoes and a sweater vest. The flock of admirers will help locate him, too.
“When I first told (classmates), they didn’t really believe me,” Banks said. “Then they saw my website, and I told them to buy my song on iTunes … now they’re excited for me. It makes me feel real good.”
Banks is comfortable with the spotlight and is aware the extra attention can cause him to stray from the message and his goals. He said he decided to turn his talent into a business after recognizing his voice was a gift.
“I wanted to take it to a different level,” Banks said. “I know there will be challenges, but I really love the music and to do God’s work. I pretty much listen to all worship songs and gospel artists. It’s a part of me.”
Banks’ mother, Marenda, said Jon’s maturity and comfort performing alleviate any worry of burnout from balancing school, music and adolescence.
Marenda Banks said she was convinced Jon could handle the load when he performed flawlessly at her sister’s reception.
“He didn’t have any fear in him at all,” she said. “He was just so comfortable.”
Marenda Banks envisions her son eventually moving from the indie scene to a major gospel label. Given Banks has six more years to finish school, he’s got enough time to polish his sound and build a following. The timeframe also will help Banks pace himself.
Marenda Banks said each day in the household is a whirlwind, as each of Jon’s three siblings are still in school. Marenda is enrolled in college and her husband, Darrell, just completed his master’s degree.
There really isn’t time to have a rigid schedule, Marenda Banks said.
“We’re not like, ‘Jon do four to six hours on these scales,'” Marenda Banks explained, “we have a schedule like a normal family. We come home, sit down and have dinner together. We prepare for what we need to do and go from there. I’m sure it’ll get more rigid as he does more gigs, but I want him to enjoy it right now. He seems to do better that way.”
Banks is a soloist in the AMS choir and spends most of his time away from the classroom listening to his favorite artists Kim Burrell and Kevin Clark and practicing his own music. He tries to package a soothing sound with excitement for God.
Banks comes from a musical family. His three brothers play instruments, and his uncle, Jay Terry, produced his first single. He discovered gospel music at Apostolic Assembly of Jesus Christ, where his grandfather, Suffragan Bishop Melvin H. Terry, Sr. is pastor and founder.
“I noticed it early,” Marenda Banks recalled. “He’d sing around the house and mimic what he heard. There was something different about it because he was able to outrun the artist. I didn’t know how to connect it at the time. At first I thought it was just me, thinking he sounded better than may he actually did. But every time someone else heard they were amazed.
“So to hear something like ‘gospel prodigy’ makes me grin ear to ear,” she added. “I’m enjoying it like I’m the one doing it.”
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