Kenny Loggins
Biography
Kenneth "Kenny" Loggins, born on January 7, 1948, in Everett, Washington, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. In his youth, his family relocated to Alhambra, California. He began playing guitar and writing songs in high school. His early career included a brief stint with the psychedelic rock band the Electric Prunes and a job as a songwriter for ABC/Wingate. Some of his early compositions were recorded by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for their 1970 album Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy, including the song "House at Pooh Corner".
Loggins and Messina
In 1971, Loggins partnered with record producer and former Poco member Jim Messina. Initially, Messina was to produce Loggins' debut album, but their collaboration evolved into the duo Loggins and Messina. Their first album, Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina Sittin' In, was released in 1971 and included "Danny's Song" and a new version of "House at Pooh Corner". From 1971 to 1976, the duo released a series of successful albums, becoming one of the most prominent musical duos of the 1970s with over 16 million records sold. Their hits included "Your Mama Don't Dance". The duo amicably separated in 1976 to pursue solo careers.
Solo Career
Loggins launched his solo career with the 1977 album Celebrate Me Home. He followed this with successful albums like Nightwatch (1978), which featured the hit duet "Whenever I Call You 'Friend'" with Stevie Nicks, and Keep the Fire (1979). In 1979, he co-wrote the song "What a Fool Believes" with Michael McDonald, which earned them a Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1980. He received another Grammy the following year for "This Is It".
The King of the Movie Soundtrack
Throughout the 1980s, Loggins became renowned for his contributions to movie soundtracks, earning him the nickname "King of the Movie Soundtrack". His successful soundtrack hits include "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack, "Footloose" and "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)" from Footloose, and "Danger Zone" and "Playing with the Boys" from Top Gun. The song "Footloose" became his only solo No. 1 hit and earned him an Academy Award nomination.
Later Career and Other Ventures
In the 1990s, Loggins continued to release albums, including the popular 1994 children's album Return to Pooh Corner. His 1991 song "Conviction of the Heart" was dubbed the "unofficial anthem of the environmental movement" by then-Vice President Al Gore. In 2010, he formed the country trio Blue Sky Riders with Gary Burr and Georgia Middleman, releasing their debut album Finally Home in 2013. Throughout his career, Loggins has won two Grammy Awards and a Daytime Emmy Award, and has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and a Golden Globe Award. In 2023, he released a memoir titled "Still Alright".