Ray Kennedy (musician)
Raymond Louis "Ray" Kennedy (born November 26, 1946 in Philadelphia , † February 16, 2014 in Los Angeles ) was an American rock musician who became known as a singer in bands such as Group Therapy , KGB and as a solo artist.
Kennedy grew up in New Jersey and started playing the saxophone very early . At first he mainly played jazz . In 1961 he made his first recording as a singer with Kenny Gamble, followed by recordings with "Eddie and the Tri-Counts". A little later he appeared with jazz greats such as Gerry Mulligan , Dizzy Gillespie and JJ Johnson . In 1962 Kennedy joined Gene Krupa and went on tour with his "Gene Krupa Jazz Group", then with Brenda Lee , Little Richard , Jerry Lee Lewis , Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding .
In 1964 Kennedy made recordings with John Misland as "John and Ray". In 1966 he formed the band Group Therapy , which released three albums and enjoyed considerable international success. In 1969, Ray Kennedy recorded his first solo album with well-known guest musicians such as Bob Mosley (bassist for Moby Grape ), Jim McCarty (guitarist for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels), George Soranovich, drummer for Love , and Duane Hitchings (piano) from the Jeff Beck Group . Kennedy first went on tour with Sly & The Family Stone and then solo.
Kennedy wrote the song Sail on Sailor with Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks in 1971 , which the group KGB wanted to use. That same year he teamed up with Dave Mason of Traffic , whom he wrote the hit Seasons . He then worked with Jeff Beck for a while .
In 1974 the super group KGB was put together, with Mike Bloomfield (guitar), Barry Goldberg (keyboard), Ric Grech (bass), Carmine Appice (drums) and of course Ray Kennedy as singer. After KGB, Kennedy wrote music for television shows and for other performers and groups. In 1979 he took up a solo album again. In 1983 he worked with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith together. In 1984 Kennedy took part in the "Super Rock 84" tour with the Michael Schenker Group (MSG) with Whitesnake , Bon Jovi , the Scorpions and others.
More solo albums followed, music for films and the 1988 Olympic Games and hits for other performers, including Engelbert Humperdinck , Willie Nelson and Fleetwood Mac .
Web links
- Ray Kennedy's website (English)
- Ray Kennedy in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Raymond Louis Kennedy Memorial Website (accessed March 11, 2014).
- ↑ booklet of the cd "Holland"
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kennedy, Ray |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Kennedy, Raymond Louis (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American rock musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 26, 1946 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Philadelphia |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 16, 2014 |
| Place of death | los Angeles |