Bill Kenny (singer)

Bill Kenny
Bill Kenny
Background information
Birth name	William Francis Kenny Jr.
Also known as	Mr. Ink Spot
Born	(1914-06-12)June 12, 1914 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	March 23, 1978(1978-03-23) (aged 63) New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Genres	Traditional pop rhythm and blues doo-wop rock and roll easy listening jazz gospel
Occupation(s)	Musician composer lyricist television host author poet
Instrument(s)	Tenor vocals
Years active	1932–1978
Labels	Decca, Mercury, Warwick, RCA, TEL, AUB, X (later Vik)

William Francis Kenny Jr. (June 12, 1914 – March 23, 1978) was an American vocalist with a wide vocal range spanning four octaves.^[1] Often regarded as one of the most influential high-tenor singers of all time, Kenny was noted for his "bell-like" vocal clarity and impeccable diction. Although he is most famous for his role as lead tenor with the Ink Spots, Kenny also led a successful solo career after disbanding the Ink Spots in 1954.^[2] Throughout the 1950s and 60s Kenny recorded, toured the world and appeared on many popular variety television shows. In 1966 Kenny became the star and host of his own musical variety show The Bill Kenny Show which aired on CBC.^[3] In 1989, 11 years after his death, Bill Kenny was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.^[4] Kenny is often noted as being the "godfather" of R&B tenor vocalists.