Beverly Kenney

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Beverly Kenney (born January 29, 1932 in Harrison , New Jersey , † April 13, 1960 in New York City ) was an American jazz singer .

Life

Beverly Kenney first worked for the Western Union company as a singer who sang birthday greetings over the phone. After moving to New York City , she recorded a demo tape with pianist Tony Tamburello in 1954; this song was released in 2006 under the title Snuggled on Your Shoulder . At the end of the year she moved to Miami , where she had an engagement in the Black Magic Room . There they heard Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey and took them on tour in their orchestra.

After several months with the Dorsey Brothers Band, she returned to New York. There she had club appearances with George Shearing , Don Elliott and Kai Winding ; After a short tour of the Midwest with Larry Sonn , she signed a recording deal with Roost and released her first album in 1956. On her next LP Come Swing with Me she was accompanied by Ralph Burns and Jimmy Jones . After a third album for Roost in 1957, she moved to Decca , where she recorded three more LPs between 1958 and 1960.

Kenney enjoyed great acclaim from the critics, but saw little appreciation from the general public, which she saw as rooted in the prevailing rock & roll . Her dislike of the current trend went so far that she composed a song called I Hate Rock and Roll , which she performed on the Steve Allen Show in May 1958 . After separating from her partner Milton Klonsky in the late 1950s, she put herself emotionally at a distance from family and friends. On April 13, 1960, she committed suicide using a combination of alcohol and Seconal . She was 28 years old.

While Kenney fell into disuse in the United States, after her death she enjoyed cult status in Japan , where most of her LPs were released on compact discs .

Discographic notes

  • Beverly Kenney Sings for Johnny Smith (Roost, 1956)
  • Come Swing with Me (Roost, 1956)
  • Beverly Kenney Sings with Jimmy Jones & the Basie-ites (Roost, 1957)
  • Beverly Kenney Sings for Playboys (Decca, 1958)
  • Born to be Blue (Decca, 1959)
  • Like Yesterday (Decca, 1960)
  • Snuggled on Your Shoulder (SSJ Records, ed. 2006; contains the demo recordings from 1954)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Kenney, Beverly
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz singer
DATE OF BIRTH January 29, 1932
PLACE OF BIRTH Harrison , New Jersey , United States
DATE OF DEATH April 13, 1960
Place of death New York City , New York , United States