Vinx De'Jon Parrette (born 15 December 1957), known professionally as Vinx, is a percussionist, singer, songwriter, and former athlete.^[1][2][3][4]

Vinx performed for the first time at Montreux Jazz Festival on July 9, 1978, after legendary musician Taj Mahal invited him to perform with him at Casino Montreux.^[5]

Vinx was a member of the Austin, Texas funk & soul band Extreme Heat.^[6]

The next time Vinx performed at Montreux Jazz Festival would be July 20, 1990, when he performed nine of his own songs:^[5]

The following day, July 21, 1990, Vinx performed alongside Sting.^[5] Almost a year later, on July 2, 1991 Vinx returned to Montreux Jazz Festival with Sting, as part of Sting's Soul Cages tour, performing backing vocals on 17 songs, before moving front of stage to perform vocals and percussion on four of his own songs: "My Funny Valentine" (written by Richard Rogers & Lorenz Hart), "Temporary Love", "One Pearl", and "Don't Got To Be That Way".^[5] "Temporary Love" and "Don't Got To Be That Way" are songs from Vinx's first album, Rooms in My Fatha's House. The album was released through Sting's record label Pangaea Records, and featured guest vocals and bass by Sting.^[7]

On July 15, 1997 Vinx again performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, this time as part of his band Jungle Funk, formed with Living Colour band members Doug Wimbish and Will Calhoun. Jungle Funk performed to an audience of 4000 at Auditorium Stravinski.^[8][5]

Vinx founded a critically acclaimed songwriting/creativity workshop series called Songwriter Soul Kitchen.^[9]

Vinx was a top American college triple jump athlete, representing Kansas State. In 1980 he held the US indoor collegiate record at 17.03 meters.^[10] This was a long enough jump to qualify him for the 1980 US Summer Olympic team in Moscow, but US President Carter boycotted the Olympics when the Soviet Union failed to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.^[11] Vinx's Olympic dreams were shattered, alongside the whole of the US Summer Olympic team.^[12]

• Jungle Funk