Bill Kenny (singer)
| Bill Kenny | |
|---|---|
Bill Kenny
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Francis Kenny Jr. |
| Also known as | Mr. Ink Spot |
| Born |
June 12, 1914 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | March 23, 1978 (aged 63) New Westminster, Canada |
| Genres | Vocal, traditional pop, R&B, doo-wop, rock and roll, easy listening, jazz, gospel |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, lyricist, television host, author, poet |
| Instruments | Tenor vocals |
| Years active | 1932–1978 |
| Labels | Decca, Mercury, Warwick, RCA, TEL, AUB, X (later VIK) |
| Associated acts | The Ink Spots, Ella Fitzgerald, Sy Oliver, Gordon Jenkins, The Ray Charles Singers |
William Francis Kenny Jr. (June 12, 1914 – March 23, 1978), known professionally as Bill Kenny, was a pioneering African American tenor vocalist with a wide vocal range spanning four octaves. Often regarded as one of the most influential high-tenor singers of all time, Kenny was noted for his "bell-like" vocal clarity and impeccable diction. Although he is most famous for his role as lead tenor with the Ink Spots, Kenny also led a successful solo career after disbanding the Ink Spots in 1954. Throughout the 1950's and 60's Kenny recorded, toured the world and appeared on many popular variety television shows. In 1966 Kenny became the star and host of his own musical variety show The Bill Kenny Show which aired on CBC. In 1989, 11 years after his death, Bill Kenny was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Kenny is often noted as being the "godfather" of R&B tenor vocalists.
Kenny was born William Francis Kenny Jr. in 1914 at Mercy Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although Kenny was born in Philadelphia, he spent much of his young life in Baltimore, Maryland, with his twin brother Herb Kenny, who later on would also become a member of The Ink Spots. The boys' father, William Francis Kenny Sr., died of influenza in 1919 when the boys were five years old. That same year, their widowed mother, Jennie Kenny (1894–1958) moved the boys to Washington D.C and then to Baltimore, where the family attended St. Peter Claver Church and lived at 1151 Carey Street. Mrs. Kenny worked as a dressmaker and made drapery for department stores to support the boys. It was in the third grade that young Bill walked out onstage at his school, St. Peter's Parochial, to sing his first song in public. It was "The Japanese Sandman". Kenny demonstrated early on his high Tenor singing abilities, singing C over high C and participating in various school opperettas at Booker T. Washington Junior High School and later at Douglass High School where he graduated. Here is an excerpt from a 1944 interview with the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper, where Kenny recalls singing as a young boy
It was in high school that Kenny began to focus on singing more than before, and often appeared singing solo in his school assemblies. After graduation, Kenny attended an arts school in Washington, D.C., but would on occasion, appear as a soloist in amateur contests in theaters throughout the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
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