Kenny O'Dell

Kenny O'Dell
Birth name	Kenneth Gist, Jr.
Born	1946
Origin	Oklahoma
Genres	Country
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1962–1979
Labels	Vegas, Capricorn

Kenny O'Dell (born Kenneth Gist Jr., 1946 in Oklahoma) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Early in his career, he worked with guitarist Duane Eddy, and his own band, Guys and Dolls. He is best known for writing the country hit "Behind Closed Doors", which Charlie Rich recorded, and "Mama He's Crazy" for The Judds. "Behind Closed Doors" won a Grammy Award in 1973 for Best Country & Western Recording. O'Dell also wrote pop and soft rock songs, including Next Plane to London which was a Top 20 hit in 1967 for Rose Garden. O'Dell is credited as "Kenny Gist, Jr" on the record label.

Rich also had a top 10 hit in 1972 with the O'Dell-penned song "I Take It On Home". O'Dell was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. His only Billboard Top 40 appearance came in 1967 when "Beautiful People" climbed to number 38, and his only other Billboard Top 100 appearance came in 1968 with the local hit "Springfield Plane". O'Dell also had a top 10 country hit on his own with "Let's Shake Hands and Come Out Lovin'" in 1978.

When O'Dell first moved to Nashville, he ran Bobby Goldsboro's publishing company. He has had other hit covers including "Trouble in Paradise" by Loretta Lynn in 1974.

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