Kenny Vance (born Kenneth Rosenberg, December 9, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter, and music producer who was a founding member of Jay and the Americans. His career spans from the 1950s to today, with projects ranging from starting

doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...

groups to music supervising to creating solo albums.

Early career

Born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, Vance grew up hanging around the famous

Brill Building The Brill Building is an office building at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and further uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood. It was built in 1931 as t ...

, the

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of History of music publishing, music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the American popular music, popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It origin ...

song machine, and started his first vocal group, the Harbor Lites, at 15. The group recorded two singles for Ivy Records in 1959. An early single, "Is That Too Much To Ask", experienced local popularity due to radio promotion by disc jockey Cousin Brucie. He then formed another group and auditioned for

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller Lyricist Jerome Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933) were American songwriting and record producing partners. They found success as the writers of such crossover hit songs as " Hound Dog" ( ...

, who signed them to United Artists Records, and named the group Jay and the Americans.

Jay and the Americans

Jay and the Americans released fifteen albums, and their first hit was " She Cried", which was released in 1962. The group's musical style evoked nostalgia for 1950s

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...

and

doo wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...

. The group was the opening act for not only

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

' first US performance, in Washington, D.C., but also for

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...

, the final stop on the Rolling Stones' tour. They also appeared on

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...

. They had many other hit singles and an album, ''Capture the Moment'', in the 1960s, blending doo wop harmonies with contemporary sounds. In 1969, they self-produced the album '' Sands of Time'', featuring songs originated by

the Drifters The Drifters are several American doo-wop and R&B/ soul vocal groups. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, formed i ...

This Magic Moment "This Magic Moment" is a song composed by lyricist Doc Pomus and pianist Mort Shuman. It was first recorded by The Drifters, with Ben E. King singing lead. Original Drifters version It was recorded first by Ben E. King and the Drifters, at Bell ...

") and

the Ronettes The Ronettes were an American girl group from Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. ...

(" Walkin' in the Rain"). Both songs hit the

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...

singles chart. They also started their own publishing and production company, JATA Enterprises. Their last release was in 1971, and the group broke up in 1974. In 2017, " Come a Little Bit Closer", a hit for Jay and the Americans in 1964, was featured in the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrac ...

for ''

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'' is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team Guardians of the Galaxy, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to ' ...

''. The soundtrack album went gold in the U.S. and sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide.

Steely Dan

In 1967, the songwriting duo of Walter Becker and

Donald Fagen Donald Jay Fagen (born January 10, 1948) is an American musician best known as the co-founder, lead singer, co-songwriter, and keyboardist of the band Steely Dan, formed in the early 1970s with musical partner Walter Becker. In addition to his ...

came to the Brill Building to sell their songs, and ended up knocking on Vance's door. Vance liked what he heard, and offered to manage and produce them. The duo arranged horn and string sections for Jay and the Americans recordings and toured with them as bassist and keyboardist. Vance produced the soundtrack album for the movie '' You've Got to Walk It Like You Talk It or You'll Lose That Beat'' for Becker and Fagen in 1971. He continued to work with Becker & Fagen until 1971, when he brought one of their songs ("I Mean to Shine") to Richard Perry, who then brought it to

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

and recorded it on ''Barbra Joan Streisand''. They were hired as songwriters at ABC Dunhill Records, and released their first

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from liv ...

album, ''

Can't Buy a Thrill ''Can't Buy a Thrill'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Steely Dan, released in November 1972 by ABC Records. The album was written by band members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, recorded in August 1972 at the Village Recorder in ...

'', in 1972. They went on to become one of the best selling and critically acclaimed bands of the 1970s. In ''Steely Dan FAQ: All That's Left to Know About This Elusive Band'', Anthony Robustelli wrote, "For all intents and purposes, Vance should be credited as the man who discovered the core of Steely Dan."

Production, film and television

After this, Vance began doing session work and producing, including albums by

Toni Basil Antonia Christina Basilotta (born September 22, 1943), better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer, choreographer, dancer, actress, and director. Her song "Mickey" topped the charts in the US, Canada and Australia and hit th ...

, Danny O'Keefe (''

American Roulette Roulette is a casino game named after the French word meaning ''little wheel'' which was likely developed from the Italian game Biribi''.'' In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the ...

''), and

Diane Keaton Diane Keaton (''née'' Hall, born January 5, 1946) is an American actress and director. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over six decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Glo ...

. He released a solo album, ''Vance 32'', on

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most im ...

in 1975. He was the music supervisor for the movies ''

Eddie and the Cruisers ''Eddie and the Cruisers'' is a 1983 American musical drama film directed by Martin Davidson with the screenplay written by the director and Arlene Davidson, based on the novel by P. F. Kluge. The sequel '' Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! ...

'', ''

Animal House ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Peter Riegert, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hulc ...

'' (which also featured an uncredited

Robert Cray Robert William Cray (born August 1, 1953) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He has led his own band and won five Grammy Awards. Early life Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953, in Columbus, Georgia, while his father was statione ...

as bass player with fictional group, Otis Day and the Knights) and ''

American Hot Wax ''American Hot Wax'' is a 1978 biographical film directed by Floyd Mutrux with a screenplay by John Kaye from a story by John Kaye and Art Linson. The film tells the story of pioneering disc jockey Alan Freed, who in the 1950s helped introduce a ...

'' with Tim McIntire,

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's '' The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 20 ...

, and

Fran Drescher Francine Joy Drescher (born September 30, 1957) is an American actress, comedian, writer, activist, and trade union leader. She is known for her role as Fran Fine in the television sitcom '' The Nanny'' (1993–1999), which she created and prod ...

. He wrote the theme for the score, produced the soundtrack album (which made the Top 40), and appeared in the movie as "Professor La Plano" to lead his fictional group, the Planotones, in a performance of "

Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay" is a song written by David White and first recorded by his group, Danny & the Juniors. Released in January 1958 by ABC-Paramount Records as the follow-up to the group's #1 hit " At the Hop", it reached #19 on t ...

". The ''Animal House'' soundtrack also made the charts and sold over one million copies and the soundtrack album of ''Eddie and the Cruisers'', initially a flop as a movie, went triple platinum when the movie became a surprise cult hit. Vance also produced and commissioned the soundtrack for '' The Warriors'', curating a diverse lineup of artists including Arnold McCuller,

Barry De Vorzon Barry De Vorzon (born July 31, 1934) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and composer. His earliest hit compositions were "Just Married" (1958), written with Al Allen and recorded by Marty Robbins, which reached number 26 on ''Billboar ...

, and backup vocals from a then-unknown

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

. Vance contributed music for many other films and TV shows. He was a guest vocalist on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...

'' in 1977 (singing a live version of his current single "The Performer"), and became the program's musical director in 1980–1981, booking the show's musical acts. He booked

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in '' Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Wit ...

and

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

, as well as

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the hono ...

, who on his only appearance on the show performed for far longer than his allotted time, forcing the producers to go to a commercial while he was still singing. In addition to his appearance in ''American Hot Wax'', Vance has also played bit parts in films including ''Eddie and the Cruisers'', ''

Billy Bathgate ''Billy Bathgate'' is a 1989 novel by author E. L. Doctorow that won the 1989 National Book Critics Circle award for fiction for 1990, the 1990 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the 1990 William Dean Howells Medal, and was the runner-up for the 1 ...

'', and '' Hurlyburly''. He also appeared in six

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

films.

1990s and later

In 1992, Vance started a doo wop group, the re-formed (no longer fictional) Kenny Vance and The Planotones from American Hot Wax. They released two albums "Teenage Jazz" and "Looking for an Echo", and then created the whole soundtrack for the 1999 film '' Looking for an Echo'', for which Vance was also the musical director and the singing voice of

Armand Assante Armand Anthony Assante Jr. (; born October 4, 1949) is an American actor. He played mobster John Gotti in the 1996 HBO television film '' Gotti'', Odysseus in the 1997 mini-series adaptation of Homer's ''The Odyssey'', Nietzsche in ''When ...

. Since then the group has released eight more albums, including "Lovers Island", Countdown to Love", "Dancing and Romancing", "Oceans of Time", and their holiday album, "Mr. Santa". They continue to perform to audiences nationwide and on PBS. Vance was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame as part of Jay and the Americans in 2002, and into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2012,

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...

destroyed Vance's oceanfront home of 38 years in

Rockaway Beach, Queens Rockaway Beach is a neighborhood on the Rockaway Peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. The neighborhood is bounded by Arverne to the east and Rockaway Park to the west. It is named for the Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk, which is the l ...

. Vance did not perform from 2014 to 2017 for health reasons. Kenny Vance and the Planotones released a new album, "For Your Love", in 2020. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, Vance reunited with members of the original Planotones to record "Brave Companions", a song he wrote in tribute to

first responders A first responder is a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance or incident resolution at the scene of an emergency, such as an accident, disaster, medical emergency, structure fire, crime, or terr ...

, with proceeds donated to the First Responders Children's Foundation. He also directed a documentary, ''Heart & Soul'', about music performers of the doo wop era. Doc NYC selected the film for its "Only In New York" program.

Other artists produced and performed with

Phoebe Snow Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs " San Francisco Bay Blues", " Poetry Man", "Harpo's Blues", and her credited ...

, Danny O'Keefe,

Delbert McClinton Delbert McClinton (born November 4, 1940) is an American blues rock and electric blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, harmonica player, and pianist. From his first professional stage appearance in 1957 to his most recent national tour in 2018, ...

, The Kingsnakes, Rafi Pagan, Peter Himmelman,

, Yusef Lateef, Brooklyn Dreams, Peter Allen,

Don McLean Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his 1971 hit song " American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minute folk rock "cultural touchstone" about the loss of innocence of the early ...

, John Cafferty, Tracey Ullman, The Beaver Brown Band, among others.

Reception

Vance has received recognition for his role in the history of doo wop and music.

Dion DiMucci Dion Francis DiMucci (born July 18, 1939), better known simply as Dion, is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. His music has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop, rock, R&B, folk and blues. Initially as the lead singer of Dion and t ...

told ''Elmore'' Magazine in 2008, "Kenny Vance...sings like there's a 19-year-old angel inside of him. ... Kenny Vance expresses the heart and soul of doo wop." In 2009, ''

Brooklyn Paper ''Brooklyn Paper'' is a weekly newspaper that covers news related exclusively to the New York City borough of Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is th ...

'' called Vance the " Dylan of Doo-Wop". Radio disc jockey

Jerry Blavat Gerald Joseph "Jerry" Blavat (born July 3, 1940), also known as "The Geator with the Heater" and "The Big Boss with the Hot Sauce," is an American disc jockey and performer who has been a major influence in promoting oldies music on the radio. A P ...

said in 2011 that Vance has "the ability to take a song, which was a hit in the '50s or early '60s and with his style make it fashionable for a new audience that hears it in a different way." Vance is in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame as part of Jay and the Americans and in the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.

Discography

Studio albums: * 1975: ''Vance 32'' * 1988: ''Short Vacation'' * 1994: ''Teenage Jazz'' * 1996: ''Looking For an Echo'' * 2000: ''Looking For an Echo (Motion Picture Soundtrack)'' * 2002: ''Kenny Vance and the Planotones'' * 2005: ''Lover's Island'' * 2006: ''Soundtrack to the Doo Wop Era: A Kenny Vance Collection Volume 1'' * 2007: ''Countdown to Love'' * 2007: ''Dancin' and Romancin' '' * 2009: ''Soundtrack to the Doo Wop Era: A Kenny Vance Collection Volume 2'' * 2010: ''Oceans of Time'' * 2011: ''Mr. Santa'' * 2013: ''Acapella'' * 2014: ''Lost And Found: Archives – Vol. 1'' * 2015: ''Lost And Found: Archives – Vol. 2'' * 2017: Kenny Vance * 2020: ''For Your Love'' Live albums: * 2002: ''Live and Out of this World'' Videos and DVDs: * 1978: ''American Hot Wax'' * 2000: ''Looking For An Echo'' * 2007: ''Kenny Vance and the Planotones: Live at the Cuillo'' * 2015: ''Happy Holidays'' DVD

Filmography

Music Department: * 1978: American Hot Wax (music producer, music supervisor) * 1978: Animal House (music supervisor – uncredited) * 1979: The Warriors (music supervisor: additional music) * 1980: Hollywood Knights (soundtrack producer) * 1980–1981: Saturday Night Live (TV series) (musical director) * 1983: Eddie and the Cruisers (music producer, music supervisor, – Lead vocal on "

Those Oldies but Goodies (Remind Me of You) "Those Oldies but Goodies (Remind Me of You)" is a song written by Nick Curinga and Paul Politi and performed by Little Caesar & the Romans. It reached #9 on the U.S. pop chart and #28 on the U.S. R&B chart in 1961. The song ranked #69 on ''B ...

") * 1988: Hairspray (Producer title song, composer) * 1989: Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! (music supervisor) * 1989: Heart of Dixie (composer: additional music, orchestrator: additional music) * 1991: Hard Promises (composer: additional music) * 1996: Erotic Confessions: Volume 1 (video) (musician: "The Performer") * 1998: Into My Heart (music supervisor) * 1999: Sunburn (music supervisor, music producer) * 1999: Story of a Bad Boy (music supervisor) * 1999: Just Looking (music supervisor) * 2000: Looking for an Echo (music producer, music supervisor, score producer, singing voice: Armand Assante) * 2001: Piñero (music supervisor) Actor: * 1978: American Hot Wax * 1979: Manhattan * 1980: Stardust Memories * 1983:

* 1986: Sweethearts * 1987: Power, Passion and Murder * 1987: Great Performances (TV series) * 1987: Tales from the Hollywood Hills: A Table at Ciro's (TV movie) * 1989: '' Crimes and Misdemeanors'' * 1991: ''

'' * 1992: '' Husbands and Wives'' * The Last Bachelor * 1996: Everyone Says I Love You * 1997: Deconstructing Harry * 1998: Hurlyburly * 2000: Looking for an Echo * 2007: Kenny Vance and the Planotones: Live at the Cuillo (video)

References

External links

Kenny Vance and the Planotones official site
*
Kenny Vance
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

Kenny Vance at Billboard Music
*
Kenny Vance at AllMusic.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vance, Kenny 1943 births Living people Singers from New York City Musicians from Brooklyn Record producers from New York (state) Saturday Night Live Band members Jay and the Americans members Erasmus Hall High School alumni Singer-songwriters from New York (state)