Beverly Kenney (January 29, 1932,

Harrison, New Jersey Harrison is a town in the western part of Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. It is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark, and is located from New York City. Once considered "the bee ...

, New Jersey – April 13, 1960, Greenwich Village, New York City) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

singer.

Early life

Kenney was born in Harrison, New Jersey on January 29, 1932, the first of Charles Joseph and Regina Kathleen "Jean" (née Abrams) Kenney's seven children together, and Jean's 9 in total.

Career

Kenney began her career as a singer of singing telegrams for

Western Union The Western Union Company is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Denver, Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1851 as the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester, New York, the co ...

. After moving to New York City, she recorded a demo tape in 1954 with Tony Tamburello (the demo was released in its entirety in 2006 under the title ''Snuggled on Your Shoulder'').

Dorsey Brothers Orchestra

By the end of the year, she moved to Miami and worked regularly at the Black Magic Room. For several months she toured with

Jimmy Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...

and

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombone, trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-to ...

's Dorsey Brothers Orchestra before returning to New York. Kenney said "Tommy and Jimmy liked me, but they thought I was too much of a stylist for the band. After a few months on the road, I left, and returned to New York," where she sang in clubs with

George Shearing Sir George Albert Shearing (13 August 191914 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 so ...

Don Elliott Don Elliott Helfman (October 21, 1926 – June 5, 1984), known as Don Elliott, was an American jazz trumpeter, vibraphonist, vocalist, and mellophone player. Elliott recorded over 60 albums and 5,000 advertising jingles throughout his career. C ...

, and

Kai Winding Kai Chresten Winding ( ; May 18, 1922 – May 6, 1983) was a Danish-born American trombonist and jazz composer. He is known for his collaborations with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson. His version of " More", the theme from the movie ''Mondo Ca ...

. Her big break came in October 1955, when she was featured in a Jazz Benefit concert for Israel at Carnegie Hall, sharing the bill with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

Tito Puente Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – May 31, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, timbalero, and record producer. He composed dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz music. He was also k ...

, and

Marian McPartland Margaret Marian McPartland Order of the British Empire, OBE ( Turner;Hasson, Claire, . PhD Thesis. Retrieved 12 August 2008. 20 March 1918 – 20 August 2013), was an English and American jazz pianist, composer, and writer. She was the host of ...

. An October 25, 1956 newspaper ad lists Kenney as appearing at the Playgoer Room at the Westnor restaurant in

Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Located in the Gold Coast (Connecticut), Gold Coast along the Long Island Sound, it is northeast of New York City and is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connec ...

. At 24 years old, Kenney was beginning to become a fixture of the New York jazz scene. She earned a standing gig at Birdland with

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

, and upon her debut at New York's Basin Street Club,

DownBeat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

critic

Nat Hentoff Nathan Irving Hentoff (June 10, 1925 – January 7, 2017) was an American historian, novelist, jazz and country music critic, and syndicated columnist for United Media. Hentoff was a columnist for ''The Village Voice'' from 1958 to 2009. F ...

praised her as compared to other artists. He said Kenney was “more flexible than

Helen Merrill Helen Merrill (born Jelena Ana Milcetic; July 21, 1929) is an American jazz vocalist. Her first album, the eponymous 1954 recording ''Helen Merrill (album), Helen Merrill'' (with Clifford Brown on EmArcy), was an immediate success and associat ...

, swings more easily than

Teddi King Theodora King (September 18, 1929 – November 18, 1977) was an American jazz and pop vocalist. King was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. She won a singing competition hosted by Dinah Shore at Boston's Tributary Theatre, later begin ...

, and her musicianship and care for lyrics are far superior to

Chris Connor Mary Jean Loutsenhizer, known professionally as Chris Connor (November 8, 1927 – August 29, 2009), was an American jazz singer. Biography Chris Connor was born Mary Loutsenhizer in Kansas City, Missouri, to Clyde Loutsenhizer and Mabel Sh ...

’s".

Recordings

Between 1956 and 1960, Kenney recorded three albums for

Royal Roost The Royal Roost was a jazz club located at 1580 Broadway in the Theater District of Manhattan in New York City. History Ralph Watkins originally opened the Royal Roost as a chicken restaurant. After a difficult start, Watkins was persuaded by ...

and three for

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

. Her first release, ''Beverly Kenney Sings for Johnny Smith'' (1956), was recorded when she was 24 and backed by a quartet led by jazz guitarist

Johnny Smith Johnny Henry Smith II (June 25, 1922 – June 11, 2013) was an American cool jazz and mainstream jazz guitarist. He wrote " Walk, Don't Run" in 1954. In 1984, Smith was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Early life During the Great ...

. She then began a residency at Birdland accompanied by the

Quintet. Her television exposure consisted of one appearance on ''

The Steve Allen Show ''The Steve Allen Show'' is an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC,

'' on May 18, 1958, performing a song she wrote, "I Hate Rock 'n' Roll" and one appearance on '' Playboy's Penthouse'', where Kenney coaxed host

Hugh Hefner Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles. Hefner extended the ''Playboy ...

into joining her to sing "

Makin' Whoopee "Makin' Whoopee" is a song first popularized by Eddie Cantor in the 1928 musical ''Whoopee!''. Gus Kahn wrote the lyrics and Walter Donaldson composed the music for the song as well as for the entire musical. The title refers to celebrating a m ...

Steve Allen Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television and radio personality, comedian, musician, composer, writer, and actor. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-creator and ...

wrote liner notes for her album ''Beverly Kenney Sings for Playboys'' (Decca, 1958) in which he commented, "A word to playboys: I would not recommend this album as Music to Make the Romantic Approach By. You're apt to get more interested in Beverly than the girl you're trying to impress". In a review of her 1959 album ''Born to be Blue'', editor Allan Gilbert Jr. said of Kenney "...she has the ability to gently, huskily slur, warp and mould her phrasing to achieve rare individuality" and that she "could be tomorrow's big name".

Death and legacy

Kenney attempted suicide twice and succeeded the third time ingesting a combination of alcohol and Seconal on April 12, 1960, in a one-room apartment in the University Residence Hotel located at 45 East 11th Street in

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...

, Manhattan, New York. Her father, Charles J. Kenney, had dinner with her two nights earlier and said "everything seemed fine". She remains a cult figure in Japan, where all of her albums have been reissued on CD and have remained in print on a relatively steady basis. SSJ Records in Japan released three collections of previously unreleased material: ''Snuggled on Your Shoulder'' (2006), ''Lonely and Blue'' (2007), and ''What Is There to Say?'' (2009). This first in the series, ''Snuggled on Your Shoulder'', was reissued by Cellar Door Records in 2010; it features the SSJ Records release in its entirety plus bonus tracks from a discovered radio show.Beverly Kenney, ''Snuggled on Your Shoulder'' (Cellar Door Records, 2010), reissue liner notes. One track from ''Snuggled on Your Shoulder'', " Tea for Two", was released on the Vintage music compilation, ''This is Vintage Now'' (2011). Kenney's vintage 1957 recording of " It's a Most Unusual Day" from her album ''Beverly Kenney Sings For Playboys'' is the background song in a late 2021

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln (na ...

automobile television commercial.

Discography

* ''Sings for Johnny Smith'' with

( Roost, 1955) * ''Come Swing with Me'' with

Ralph Burns Ralph Joseph P. Burns (June 29, 1922 – November 21, 2001) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Early life Burns was born in Newton, Massachusetts, United States, where he began playing the piano as a child. In 1938, he attend ...

' Orchestra (Roost, 1956) * ''Sings with Jimmy Jones and "The Basie-Ites"'' with Jimmy Jones, Joe Newman,

Frank Wess Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. He was renowned for his extensive solo work; however, he was also remembered for his time playing with Count Basie, Count Basie's band duri ...

Freddie Green Frederick William Green (March 31, 1911 – March 1, 1987) was an American swing jazz guitarist who played rhythm guitar with the Count Basie Orchestra for almost fifty years. Early life and education Green was born in Charleston, South ...

, Eddie Jones and

Jo Jones Jonathan David Samuel Jones (October 7, 1911 – September 3, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. A band leader and pioneer in jazz percussion, Jones anchored the Count Basie Orchestra rhythm section from 1934 to 1948. He was sometimes k ...

(Roost, 1957) * ''Sings for Playboys'' with

Joe Benjamin Joseph Rupert Benjamin (November 4, 1919 – January 26, 1974) was an American jazz bassist. Born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Benjamin played with many jazz musicians in a variety of idioms. Early in his career he played in the big bands of A ...

and

Ellis Larkins Ellis Larkins (May 15, 1923 – September 29, 2002) was an American jazz pianist born in Baltimore, Maryland, known for his two recordings with Ella Fitzgerald: the albums ''Ella Sings Gershwin'' (1950) and '' Songs in a Mellow Mood'' (1954). ...

(

, 1958) * ''Born to Be Blue'' with strings arranged by

Hal Mooney Harold "Hal" Mooney (February 4, 1911 – March 23, 1995) was an American composer and arranger. Early life and career Hal Mooney was born in Brooklyn, New York. As a young man, Mooney was a professional pianist. He attended Brooklyn and St. Jo ...

and

Charles Albertine Charles Albertine (February 24, 1929 – May 18, 1986) was an American musician, composer, and arranger of the space-age pop era. He is best known as an arranger for Les and Larry Elgart, Sammy Kaye, and The Three Suns, and as the composer of ...

(Decca, 1959) * ''Like Yesterday'' with

Eddie Bert Edward Joseph Bertolatus (May 16, 1922 – September 27, 2012), also known as Eddie Bert, was an American jazz trombonist. Music career He was born in Yonkers, New York, United States. Bert received a degree and a teaching license from the Manha ...

Stan Free Hot Butter were an American instrumental band fronted by the keyboard player and studio musician Stan Free. The other band members were John Abbott (arranger, guitar), brothers Bill (producer, engineer, percussion) and Steve Jerome (producer, ...

Al Klink Al Klink (December 28, 1915 in Danbury, Connecticut – March 7, 1991 in Bradenton, Florida) was an American swing jazz tenor saxophonist. Career Klink played with Glenn Miller from 1939 to 1942, and is a featured soloist, along with ...

, Bill Pemberton,

Johnny Rae John Anthony Pompeo (August 11, 1934 – September 4, 1993), better known as Johnny Rae, was an American jazz drummer and vibraphonist. Biography Born in Saugus, Massachusetts, Rae graduated from East Boston High School in 1952 and studied musi ...

Jerome Richardson Jerome Richardson (December 25, 1920 – June 23, 2000) was an American jazz musician and woodwind player. He is cited as playing one of the earliest jazz flute recordings with his work on the 1949 Quincy Jones arranged song "Kingfish". Caree ...

Ed Shaughnessy Edwin Thomas Shaughnessy (January 29, 1929 – May 24, 2013) was a swing music and jazz drummer long associated with Doc Severinsen and a member of The Tonight Show Band on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Biography Shaughnessy ...

and

Chuck Wayne Chuck Wayne (February 27, 1923 – July 29, 1997) was an American jazz guitarist. He came to prominence in the 1940s, and was among the earliest jazz guitarists to play in the bebop style. Wayne was a member of Woody Herman's First Herd, the f ...

(Decca, 1959) * ''Snuggled on Your Shoulder'' (SSJ/Cellar Door, 2006) * ''Lonely and Blue'' (SSJ, 2007) * ''What is There to Say?'' (SSJ, 2009) * ''Volume 4'' (SSJ, 2017)

References

External links

* http://www.beverlykenney.com * Beverly Kenney at Allmusic
Beverly Kenney Biography and Discography
at This is Vintage Now {{DEFAULTSORT:Kenney, Beverly 1932 births 1960 suicides 1960 deaths People from Harrison, New Jersey Singers from New Jersey American jazz singers American women jazz singers Barbiturates-related deaths 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers Drug-related deaths in New York City Alcohol-related deaths in New York City Drug-related suicides in New York City