Gerard Kenny

Gerard Kenny (born Gerard W. Kenny, 8 July 1947, New York [http://www.gerardkenny.co.uk/] ) is a popular music singer-songwriter.

Career

Kenny is best known for his composition "I Could Be So Good For You" which, when recorded by Dennis Waterman and used as the theme tune to the hit ITV series "Minder", became a Top 10 hit single in the United Kingdom. It also earned Kenny an Ivor Novello Award.

Kenny is also well known for "I Made It Through The Rain", a song that reached #1 in the United States for Barry Manilow; and his own singles "New York, New York" and "Fantasy".

Kenny formed his first band whilst in High school and between then, and the early 1970s, he toured the club circuit. In 1968 he landed his first recording contract with Warner Bros. Records, and from that point until 1977 issued a number of singles that failed to break the charts. It was not until 1978 after moving to England that he scored his first hit single with "New York, New York" (an ode to his hometown) which spent two months on the charts, with its parent album "Made It Through The Rain" going Top 20 the following year. Another single on the RCA record label, "Fantasy" proved to be another chart hit in 1981.

Since then Kenny has continued to record and release music periodically. His songs have been recorded by Barry Manilow, Johnny Mathis, Perry Como, Jack Jones, Marion Montgomery, Sacha Distel, Billy Joel, James Last and many others; notably Shirley Bassey, who recorded a song that he co-wrote with Lynsey de Paul, called "There's No Place Like London".

Discography

ingles

*"New York, New York" - (1978) - UK No. 43
*"Fantasy" - (1980) - No. 34
*"The Other Woman, The Other Man" - (1984) - No. 69
*"No Man's Land" - (1985) - No. 56cite book
first= David
last= Roberts
year= 2006
title= British Hit Singles & Albums
edition= 19th
publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
location= London
pages= p. 43
id= ISBN 1-904994-10-5]

Album

*"Made It Through The Rain" - (1979) - No. 19cite book
first= David
last= Roberts
year= 2006
title= British Hit Singles & Albums
edition= 19th
publisher= Guinness World Records Limited
location= London
pages= p. 299
id= ISBN 1-904994-10-5]

References

Tribute

The late Alan Jay Lerner said - "His songs are written to be sung ... but even more, the strain that runs through his music is that most endangered of all species - joy" [http://www.mcportsmouth.freeserve.co.uk/gk/gbiog.htm]

External links

* [http://www.gerardkenny.co.uk/ Gerard Kenny's official website]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1185334/bio Kenny's IMDb biography]