Chris Kenner

Chris Kenner
Background information
Birth name	Christophe Kenner
Born	(1929-12-25)December 25, 1929 Kenner, Louisiana, United States
Died	January 25, 1976(1976-01-25) (aged 46) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres	R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals
Years active	1956–1976
Labels	Baton Imperial Ron Pontchartrain Prigan Instant Uptown

Christophe Kenner (December 25, 1929 – January 25, 1976) was an American, New Orleans-based R&B singer and songwriter,^[1] best known for two hit singles in the early 1960s, "I Like It Like That" and "Land of 1000 Dances", which became staples in the repertoires of many other musicians.

Biography

Born on Christmas Day, in the farming community of Kenner, Louisiana, upriver from New Orleans,

In 1955 he made his first recordings, for a small label, Baton Records, without success. In 1957, he recorded his "Sick and Tired" for Imperial Records.^[2] Kenner's recording reached No. 13 on the Billboard R&B chart.^[4] Fats Domino covered it the next year, and his version became a hit on the pop chart.^[1] "Rocket to the Moon" and "Life Is Just a Struggle", both cut for Ron Records, were other notable songs Kenner recorded in this period.^[2]

Moving to another New Orleans label,

Kenner's career was affected by his unpredictable behavior – he drank and spent heavily, and he sometimes missed shows or forgot the words to his songs.[3] He continued to record until 1968, with diminishing success. In 1968, Kenner was convicted of statutory rape of a minor and spent three years in Louisiana's Angola prison.^[7]

Kenner died from a heart attack in 1976, at the age of 46, triggered by alcoholism.^[3]

Chart singles

References