Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins chatted with this journalist on the red carpet of the 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame, which was held in New York City.
Jerkins was one of this year’s Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees.
“It’s great to be here,” Jerkins admitted. “It’s awesome to be amongst people like Ashley Gorley and Nile Rodgers. It’s all our friends from the industry who you don’t see every day because they are in the studio creating what the world moves to!”
Jerkins’ advice for young and aspiring artists
For young and emerging artists, Jerkins said, “You have to find your pulse; find the thing that works for you best and then, stick to it.”
“It took me a while to find out my style, but once I found it, that’s what happened,” he admitted.
Jerkins on the power of songwriting
On the power of songwriting, Jerkins shared, “A song changes the mood of a day. Every song is a melody in everything that we hope for. Everything comes from a song. If you really think about it, a song is often referred to the soundtrack to our lives.”
Success
On his definition of the word success, Jerkins said, “It is a blessing to be successful, but you must keep evolving and keep doing what you love. The more you do what you love, the more success you have!”
Induction ceremony
During the induction ceremony, fellow Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Teddy Riley introduced Jerkins with a moving speech, and his children honored his songwriting legacy with memorable versions of “The Boy is Mine,” as well as a 10-song medley, which featured “Say My Name,” “It’s Not Right but It’s Okay, “He Wasn’t Man Enough” and ‘If You Had My Love.”
To learn more about Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, follow him on Instagram.
