BIOGRAPHY

  Kelly Kenning – A singer with a pure country tone, penning and performing songs he has written reflecting real life as he knows it. Sometimes the song spins along a path of Neotraditional country, or takes an outlaw path, or tells a story set in the southwest calling for its native language of Spanish. Whatever the concept or theme, Kelly’s songs come from a deep well of artistic talent. 

They strike at the heart and come loaded with classic value.

According to Kelly:

“As one might suspect, I’ve been exposed to country music all of my life. Growing up in Alice, TX where dance halls were packed on the weekends, I knew what I wanted to do at age 11, when I sang at a Whataburger convention at the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Ruidoso, New Mexico and heard that applause! I was hooked then and still am today.

“Looking back, it was the sound of a steel guitar, and twin fiddles that move me now and moved me then into being in the music business. Naturally, I am a huge fan of John Anderson, George Strait, Bob Wills, Hank Williams, Charley Pride,

Freddy Fender, Johnny Rodriguez, Vern Gosdin, Moe Bandy, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Merle Haggard,

Johnny Cash and Randy Travis. From each of these artists, I’ve been influenced and inspired.

“When I picked up the guitar at age 13, I took lessons in San Antonio at Delview Music Center with Danny Mathis. 

I also met Songwriter Wade Duncan, and recorded my first song in 1985. Our working together continued netting another 15 songs, and in this same year I started my own band called WILDFIRE. 

We played at dance halls, proms and weddings for the next four years, which included playing Happy Shahan’s Alamo Village for a day show when Happy pitched some of my songs to Jerry Kennedy.

“As WILDFIRE ran its course and broke up by ‘88, I began playing for Jerry & the Ruf-Nex as a rhythm guitar player and harmony singer. And then in ‘91, I started a new band, THE ROCKINGHORSE RIDERS. I also began vocal lessons with Debbie Beinhorn at The Singers’ Workshop in Houston, TX. This was followed by a recording session in Nashville in ‘92 with Pat McMakin at the SoundShop Recording Studios. My band had the privilege of opening for Conway Twitty, Lorrie Morgan, and Joe Stampley at the “Go Western Gala” in San Antonio – we were the FIRST INDEPENDENT ACT to play this event.

“By ‘96, Nashville was beckoning and I moved there. I worked for Producer Bud Logan (John Conlee) driving a delivery truck and attending songwriter nights, while also singing and writing demos. By ‘99 I began playing at the world-famous “Tootsies Orchid Lounge” 4 nights a week. I began writing with Tony Ramey, Trey Matthew, David Chamberlain, Royce Porter, Randy Boudreaux, Gerald Smith and Mitchell Oglesby. It was during’96-2000 era that “The Broadway Years” album was being recorded.

“Another opportunity presented itself in 2003 when I was playing at Tootsie’s. Erv Woolsey had been coming in listening the band, and asked if I would come play at is new Club called “ The Trap”. He had us play the after show CMA AWARDS Party that year, where we entertained a lot of my Heroes. George Strait, LeeAnn Womack, Toby Keith, Alan Jackson, Mark Chesnutt, and Jack Greene were just a few of the many names to mention that were in attendance.

“That same year, My Dad told me he had come down with Prostrate Cancer and needed my help with our family business just as we were finishing up on “The Ride of My Life” album, and I moved back home to Texas. We released “The Ride of My Life” album the following year I in 2004. “She Beat the Cheat Out of Me” was the first single from the album, followed by “The Ride of My Life”, “Daylight Wasting Time”, and “Pure Strait Country” which earned Two 5’s, a Top Ten, and Top Twenty on The Texas Music Chart.

“I began working on “What A Cowboy Was” album in 2008 and signed with Davis Music Group in 2010, when it was released. “Broken Bones” was the first single released from the album, which was another Top 10, and the second single “Nothing But Smoke” was on it’s way up the chart, when an argument over financing with the Label Head forced an abrupt exit from the Nashville based label.

“That same year I met Kerry Wallum, (Actor, Stunt Man, Director, and Partner at Luck Films), backstage at Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic in Austin, Tx. Kerry and I became good friends and he asked me to do some songwriting for some of their films.

I went to California with Kerry and played at a Film Festival in Paso Robles and met some of his friends like Actor Joe Estevez and Franchesco Quinn over the next few years, I worked on and finished a number of songs for the Movies “Of God and Kings”, “The Junction”, “Shadow Hills Showdown”,“Niemand”, and “A Turn In The Sun”, some of which are slated to be released.

“In 2014, another unique opportunity presented itself when I called up a high school buddy of mine, Woody Addison, to catch up. He was at the time inventing an XBOX rodeo video game called “Top Hand”. Woody said, “We need a song for the video game, and I told him, I think I can help you out!” I thought how amazing it was for me to have a song I co-wrote pop up immediately when inserting the game into the XBOX player.

“I began working on the album “A Turn In The Sun” in 2017, and the Christian Country album A Glimpse of The Other Side” in 2016 after the passing of my best friend, Louis Travis. Producing tracks for these albums with Buddy Hyatt in Nashville.

It took me almost 6 years to get the material together for these Records. “A Glimpse of The Other Side” has already produced

a #1 hit on the Christian Country charts with “God’s Got This”.

I am excited to get the new music out there to the fans who have been waiting on it! “Here in 2022, I am currently working on a Christmas album and the next country album both of which are not yet titled. The first single from the Christmas album

“Happy Birthday Lord” is slated to be released to radio after Thanksgiving.

Songwriting and playing music for the fans who love it are my passion”