In Memory of My Friend, Kenny Rankin
Kenny Rankin died on June 7th. He was 69 years old and died of lung cancer in Los Angeles, where he lived.
I first started listening to Kenny's music when I was in college in 1976. His vocal range, from a falsetto to rich, bluesy tenor was remarkable. I had the good luck to run into him at LA airport a few years back and tell him how much his music meant to me. He offered to perform at any charitable event I might be affiliated with, schedule permitting. Last year, Kenny made good on that promise and did a show at the Stephen Talkhouse on Long Island to benefit the East Hampton Daycare Center.
Kenny played the hell out of the guitar and put on a wonderful show for the relatively small crowd. He never mentioned that he was sick.
When the Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, Paul McCartney asked Kenny to accept the award on the group's behalf. Rankin had recorded beautiful and lilting versions of a number of Beatles' songs. Kenny wrote for Peggy Lee, Mel Torme and Helen Reddy in the 60's and 70's. He played guitar on Dylan's "Bringing It All Back Hom e" album in 1965.
Kenny Rankin, the self-described "jazz singer," a great guitarist and vocalist, died last Sunday. Rest in peace, Kenny.
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A Kenny Rankin story: saw him perform a few years ago. There was a mildly disabled boy in the audience who was a huge Kenny fan, went to alot of his shows. Kenny was to perform 'Peaceful' and had begun the song...he stopped, looked out and asked the boy if he would like to join him on stage. I heard a few groans from the crowd, but the boy leapt up and proceeded to sing a very moving version of the Kenny favorite. I believe from the sound of things that most people there would have preferred to hear Kenny sing it solo. At the end of the song however, there wasn't a dry eye, because during the song, Kenny just kept looking at this boy with such pride and love. He was that kind of guy...no ego, all kindness. Thanks for the tribute Alec. Reading your blog yesterday was how I found out he passed away. With all of the Sarah Palin and Jon and Kate stuff going on, someone like Kenny Rankin's passing gets lost in the madness. He was a wonderful man on stage and off...
Wow how sad....
I always remember his tune 'When Sunny gets blue...'
playin on what was then KBCA jazz radio in L. A.
R.I.P. Kenny,
Love ya!
Oh, what a loss.
After wearing literal grooves into my 'Like a Seed' album while an undergrad, I moved to Washington, DC to work on Capitol Hill. Within a week of my arrival, I discovered Kenny was playing at the Cellar Door. It was an extraordinary concert but afterwards, about a block away from the venue, I got a flat tire.
I sat on the curb forever, waiting for help (no cellphone calls to AAA then), when a taxi window opened: it was Kenny. In no time, he and the driver had gotten off the flat tire and replaced it with the the spare. I repaid him with coffee at the HoJo's across from the Watergate. We spent three hours talking music, politics, life, and purpose.... it was an extraordinary and life-changing conversation for a kid fresh out of college.
I'd seen him many times in concert since and each time I paid a visit backstage, he'd welcome me like an old friend. An exceptional voice, a wonderful mind, a most generous heart.
I heard my first Kenny Rankin tune in high school. He was a rare talent, very much unlike so many of the hard swaggering male singers that we hear today. Baldwin's beautiful tribute is to one of the most talented, and unfortunately underrated, singer-composer-musicians that ever lived. Kenny Rankin will be remembered and his loss will be permanently felt.
LOVE ME SOME KENNY RANKIN!
couldn't have written it best myself. RIP, Kenny.
Was shocked to hear about this. Regrettably, haven't seen him perform in many years. He would occasionally get a gig on someone's TV show, but now we mostly have those dumb "Idol" shows :-(
Your comment causes me to wonder why TV networks put on shows featuring untalented, unprepared kids when there are professionally qualified musicians who might work for little more than union scale at a job for which they've spent years preparing. Kenny Rankin might have been among that number. My comment would apply to different degrees to other freak shows offering so-called dance and other talent competitions.
"Your comment causes me to wonder why TV networks put on shows featuring untalented, unprepared kids ..."
Surely you already know that answer. No thanks to either of us, perhaps, but those shows get huge ratings, which sells a lot of soap. People love a good late night car chase down the freeway, too. And Dane Cook. Sigh.
nice tribute Alec.
R.I.P. Kenny. My wife and I have been married for 31 years and my courtship of her began on our first date, to see Kenny Rankin in a small club in San Francisco. What a voice.
I am a fan of Kenny Rankin's music. He will be missed.
What a lovely tribute. Thank you, Mr. Baldwin. I was/am a huge Rankin fan - he had the voice of an angel, and was a terrific interpreter of standards, both traditional and rock. His albums were miraculous, but he was even better live - hysterically funny and thoughtful. I'm so sorry his wonderful voice has been silenced forever. Rest in peace, Kenny.
If there is a heaven the voice of the angels has just arrived. Doubt my statement? Just listen to Silver Morning and you'll hear him ascend into the light of the universe.
Bless you sweet spirit.
I had the great fortune of seeing Kenny Rankin in concert in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 3, 2009. He put on a truly outstanding show. I was not only amazed at the crystal clear beauty of his voice but also by the expressive, melodic and tonally rich quality of his guitar playing. I was also quite moved by his intimate rapport with the audience. He humorously reminisced about his friendship with the late George Carlin and I was particularly moved by the loving thoughts about his children that he shared with all of us.
PS: One of my favorites of Kenny's is his interpretation of, "People Get Ready", the gospel-influenced song originally done by Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions. I'd like to think that he will be singing this song in a duet with Curtis somewhere in time:
(PEOPLE GET READY)
People get ready, there's a train comin'
You don't need no baggage, you just get on board
All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin'
You don't need no ticket you just thank the Lord
People get ready, there's a train to Jordan
Picking up passengers coast to coast
Faith is the key, open the doors and board them
There's hope for all among those loved the most
There ain't no room for the hopeless sinner whom would hurt all mankind
Just to save his own
Have pity on those whose chances grow thinner
For there is no hiding place against the Kingdoms throne
I absolutely loved Kenny Rankin and his oh-so-talented musical skills. His voice itself was an instrument. His rendition of the Beatles' song, "Blackbird," sung by Kenny Rankin was totally memorable and inspirational. I am so sorry that he is gone and I hope that he did not have to suffer.
This world will definitely miss a wonderful spirit with him gone. He was doing things musically before others had even thought of trying that same style. And, per the post about lung cancer? You definitely do not have to be a smoker to get it. And one of the ways that you CAN get it is from inhalation of secondary smoke. There are other ways, too, one being that he actually had a different type of cancer and it went to his lungs. That happened to someone beloved in my family. She had breast cancer that went to her liver, but it was still breast cancer. Kenny, rest in peace. You will be missed, very much so.
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