Wink Vastine Thomas Pettis is a passionate and uniquely styled professional saxophone player and jazz singer with over 30 years of experience.

 

Born in 1960 into a family of doctors in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, the United States, he received orthodox education and was influenced by music from a young age. When participating in the performances of the local black church and club choirs, the rich black music ignited his musical talent, which still serves as the source of inspiration for his creation and performance to this day. Wink began to learn to play the saxophone at the age of 12 and was always an outstanding member of the school band. Over the years, his solid basic skills combined with his innate musical talent have left a deep impression on everyone who has ever heard him play.

In 1987, Wink led a group of like-minded friends to move to New York in search of greater development opportunities. With the influence of his manager Bobby Humphrey (a famous jazz flutist in the 1970s) in major record companies in New York, after they got the chance to showcase their professional standards, they obtained a recording contract with RCA under A&R, which established Wink's professional status in the jazz world. Subsequently, more recording and performance contracts poured in one after another. Among them were collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Nile Rodgers, Patrice Rushen, Jeff Skunk Baxter, Michael McDonald, the Doobie Brothers, Phyllis Hyman, Roy Ayers, and Rick James.