Kenton Neil Saunders, Jr., was singing for Jesus in the youth choir of Wayman AME Church at the age of three. At the age of four, Kenton began showing his interest in the piano and organ, and the following year began taking piano lessons at the Berry Jones and Foster Music Studio. He excelled at music at a remarkable rate and his instructors had to keep pulling him back to the lesson plan because his natural ear for music kept him venturing off on his own. Saunders would add to whatever he was playing and making it uniquely his music. 

 

Kenton began to play for the youth choir at Wayman under the direction of his former music teacher Ernestine Jones-Gordon. He attended Lindberg High School where he became more than just another student--he formed their first gospel choir.