Kenny Loggins

About Kenny Loggins

Kenneth Clark "Kenny" Loggins (born January 7, 1948 in Everett, Washington) is an American singer and songwriter best known for a number of soft rock and adult contemporary hit singles beginning in the 1970s. Originally a part of the duo Loggins and Messina, he has also recorded as a solo artist and written hit songs for other artists.

Loggins was born in Everett, Washington, and raised in Alhambra, California. His early 20s found him in the band Gator Creek with Mike Deasy. An early version of "Danny's Song" (later recorded by Loggins and Messina) was included on an effort on Mercury Records. Loggins continued his career in the 1970s. After attracting the attention of fellow singer-songwriter Jim Messina, the two began a duo career as Loggins and Messina. It lasted until 1976. In 1977 Loggins went on to produce his first solo album, Celebrate Me Home, which included the hit "I Believe In Love," originally sung by Barbra Streisand in A Star Is Born. Nightwatch, a popular album released in 1978, included the hit "Whenever I Call You Friend", a duet with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac. He followed this in 1979 with Keep the Fire. Loggins also wrote the song "What a Fool Believes" with Michael McDonald. He is known to have recorded it before the Doobies did. The following year he and Michael McDonald wrote This Is It which helped cure his ailing father. The song earned him a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal. Over the next decade, Loggins recorded many hit songs for movie soundtracks. This began with "I'm Alright" (peaked at #7 in the U.S.), "Mr. Night" and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack. Hits followed with "Footloose" and "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)" from Footloose, "Meet Me Halfway" from Over the Top, "Danger Zone" and "Playing With the Boys" from Top Gun. Loggins also performed "Nobody's Fool" from the unsuccessful movie Caddyshack 2. He also performed as a member of USA for Africa on the famine-relief fundraising single "We Are the World".

In the 1990s, Loggins continued his album career, including the popular 1994 children's album Return to Pooh Corner, which included the title single, a reworking of "House at Pooh Corner" written for his newborn son Luke. In 1991, Loggins recorded and produced Leap of Faith, an important album in his career featuring the hit "Conviction of the Heart." Former vice president Al Gore billed this song as "the unofficial anthem of the environmental movement." On Earth Day in 1995, Loggins performed at The National Mall in Washington, D.C. for a live audience of 500,000.