by Randy Willis {An unedited A Work in Progress}

Nashville Singer-songwriter Gordon Kennedy had no idea what awaited him. He arrived on the western shores of Ireland to play his music in 1997. He flew into Clifden, Ireland’s nearest international airport. It’s an hour’s drive to an ancient castle converted into a hotel.

The enchanting Abbeyglen Castle Hotel is renowned for its gourmet cuisine and fine wines. Gordon passes on the wine, for he does not drink alcohol, but the food is another matter.

The Castle Hotel’s pub buzzes with Irish tunes. Twenty-five American and twenty-five Irish songwriters, give or take one or two, arrive for a week-long writer’s retreat. The news spread like wildfire through the countryside; some songwriters are famous, not only as songwriters but as vocalists. Locals flood the pub to showcase their music for the group.

As they left, they received a handcrafted Bodhráns drum.  Bodhráns Are the Pulse of Irish Music. Gordon Kennedy had his family’s coat of arms placed on the drum. It contained three knights’ helmets, one for Gordon and his two brothers, Bryan and Shelby, by coincidence.

A photo of the handcrafted Bodhráns drum with the Kennedy Coat of Arms.

Abbeyglen Castle Hotel in Clifden

After a week, the songwriters travel an hour plus by bus as a group to Galway. Stone-clad cafes, pubs, boutiques, and art galleries line the winding lanes, retaining portions of the medieval city walls. The Irish music scene in Galway City is outstanding. Skilled musicians perform in various venues throughout the city.

As Gordon walked the balmy bohemian city’s sidewalks, his mind is flooded with thoughts of what was happening. Walking the country roads, he found a medieval castle long since abandoned.

Galway is Ireland’s home of festivals and the arts. It is also a thriving hub for songwriting with a rich history. Like Nashville, across the pond in America, it all begins with a song.

However, Ireland’s Cultural Heart is not the songwriter’s final destination.

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The songwriters board a large private boat for a nine-mile voyage west. The destination is the small island of Inishturk. The island has a population of a mere 95 on any given day. Life in Inishturk is not as touristy as Lower Broadway is back home in Nashville. There is no Music Row. You can see the Milky Way without the glitter and neon signs at night.

There is peace. The Good Book Gordon was brought up on describes this as a peace that no man can understand.

An old man, portly with a noticeable beer belly, welcomes the boat as it arrives. He has two different plaid patterns on his jacket and pants. With one sunbaked hand, he pulls a penny whistle out of his pocket. He plays it as they get off the wooden boat. Stunning views and cliffs dot the rugged coast.

The portly man asks Gordon, “Cad is ainm duit?” as Great Black-backed Gulls swoop down with their domineering attitude.

Gordon lifts his handmade Del Langejans’ acoustic guitar with his right hand to acknowledge his question. He is unclear what was asked. Gordon shrugs both shoulders as if to say I don’t understand.

The portly man repeats the question in English, “What is your name?”

“Gordon Kennedy.”

“Kennedy, are you Irish?” The portly man grins with a toothless mouth.

“No, sir, but my ancestors were.”

“You’re a “Yank,” the portly man says. “I was but a buachaill when John Fitzgerald Kennedy spoke in Eyre Square in Galway.” He smiles and adds, “Bulai fir!, yes, a great fella he was.”

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A handful of little carefree children are on the front porch. They wait to welcome them as they enter the recreation center. The center is situated atop a hill, where the names of all 95 residents are displayed on the wall.

The children stare at the American songwriters as though they had just heard a seagull talk. There are no cars on the island. It would be a short three-mile drive from end to end if there were.

As one songwriter approaches the bartender for a “pint of gat,” he notices his badge. “Do bartenders need identification?” he asks.

“Níl Lad, I’m the Sheriff too.”

Once inside, the songwriters are told to make a giant circle. One person walks by, dropping chunks of salmon in their hands. A second person follows to provide lemon juice for the songwriters to squeeze on the salmon.

Gordon Kennedy glances to see if there are other American songwriters when Lamont Dozier sits across from him. Dozier was part of the songwriting and production team responsible for much of the Motown Sound. They produced numerous hit records by artists such as Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremes, and The Isley Brothers.

Gordon Kennedy knew his reputation as a musician and songwriter often preceded him. This was especially true when he played venues like The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. However, did anyone know who he was in Ireland?

Then the call breaks the silence, “Let’s have some music!” Songs ring out for a few hours when someone yells, “Let’s have some music from Gordon Kennedy.”

Gordon plays Change the World with Jeff Healey accompanying him. Healey, a Canadian blues, rock, and jazz guitarist, singer, and songwriter, has hits like Angel Eyes.

Change the World is a song written by Tommy Sims, Wayne Kirkpatrick, and Gordon Kennedy. Wynonna Judd recorded it, and Eric Clapton later recorded the mega hit.

Healey would add: “That’s the greatest song I’ve ever heard.” The worldwide hit, Change the World, earned Kennedy a Grammy for “Song of the Year” in 1996.

Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy, Eric Clapton, and Wayne Kirkpatrick. 39th Annual Grammy Awards. Madison Square Garden, New York City.

Gordon Kennedy uses the Grammy Awards platform to declare his faith in Christ before millions of viewers:

“First of all…my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…He is strong…weak in no way.” —Gordon Kennedy

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Each American songwriter is paired with an Irish songwriter for a collaborative effort. Names are drawn. Gordon is paired with Brian Kennedy, not to be confused with his brother Bryan Kennedy. Bryan is Garth’s right-hand man, who has written six hits for Garth. These include two #1 radio hits, “Beaches of Cheyenne” and “American Honky-Tonk Bar Association.” 

Brian Kennedy (not Gordon’s brother) is one of Ireland’s most revered ambassadors of music. A prolific songwriter, he continues to be praised worldwide for his exceptional vocal talents. The multi-platinum recording artist remains one of Ireland’s most popular superstars.

The songwriters’ workshop travels from Inishturk Island to Ireland’s largest city, Dublin. Dublin is the capital and the largest city of Ireland, dating back to medieval times. They travel by bus for 2 1/2 hours. They rock the town. The venue is The Temple Bar Music Centre. All the songs performed were written during the workshop, except the closing song performed by Gordon. It is his famous Change the World, recorded by Eric Clapton.

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Gordon Kennedy returned to Ireland 25 years later. He is with another singer-songwriter, Garth Brooks. They performed for crowds of over 86,000 per night. They performed five nights at Croke Park in 2022.

Gordon Kennedy with Garth Brooks in Dublin, Ireland. 2022.

Gordon Kennedy has written 15 songs recorded by Garth Brooks. Gordon Kennedy and Garth Brooks both have Irish ancestors.

Gordon shared Garth Brooks’ kindness with me. “Garth has a never-failing loyalty to his friends. This part of his character has not been emphasized enough.”

“He is the best,” Gordon Kennedy says of Brooks. “There’s nobody like that guy. If you ever get a chance to cross paths with him, you will know what I’m talking about. To do this with him is an adventure to say the least.” —Headliner USA

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Gordon Kennedy’s platforms in Ireland range from huge venues to small pubs. The latter was the case when a reporter with The Irish Sun came calling. The reporter wished to give Gordon a tour of the local pubs where the “real pubs” are, the reporter says.

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The night began at Bruxelles, a bustling joint with an Irish heavy rock heritage. It has three bars, live music, and TV sports. Gordon follows a rock band. His first thought as he stood at the back of the pub was: “Okay, bring out the speed bumps.” He’s apprehensive to say the least.

But then, to Gordon’s surprise, the band’s first tune was Glen Campbell’s Wichita Lineman. And then Don Henley’s The End of the Innocence. And also, Paul Simon’s The Boy in the Bubble. All precisely performed as the originals. He breathes a sigh of relief as he takes the “stage.”

Gordon kicks off his set with his father, Jerry Kennedy’s legendary opening guitar riff on Pretty Woman—the Roy Orbison classic.

No, Julia Roberts did not walk out of a boutique in Beverly Hills saying, “Big mistake.” To his surprise, the opening band joins him. He discovers they know every note exactly as the original Pretty Woman.

One guy in the audience gets so excited that he hoists Gordon upon his shoulders.

The night begins for Gordon Kennedy at Bruxelles in Dublin, Ireland. Photos courtesy of Gordon Kennedy. Copyright ©Gordon Kennedy

The End of the Innocence

“Remember when the days were long
And rolled beneath a deep blue sky
Didn’t have a care in the world
With mommy and daddy standin’ by
But “happily ever after” fails…” Don Henley, The End of the Innocence.

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As the night of excitement ends, Gordon walks to his hotel room; his mind wanders back to another time. To another location, a few blocks away, Dublin Bay, where there once was no gaiety—only trepidation. Without the bravery of a twelve-year-old girl, there would be no music. There would be no triumphant return to Gordon’s ancestral home. Without this diminutive girl, there would be no Gordon Kennedy.

From Dublin Bay, Gordon’s ancestor, Anna Canady, escaped the Great Famine of 1845-1852. The Famine was characterized by mass starvation and disease. It was her shoulders that Gordon’s family history stood on.

Anna Canady sailed on a “coffin ship.” This was the popular name for the ships that carried Irish emigrants escaping the Great Irish Famine. The name was used particularly for those who sailed from Dublin Bay. These ships were often repurposed cargo vessels. They were notoriously overcrowded and unsanitary. This led to high death rates due to disease and starvation. Anna Canady was born in 1843 in Ireland. She was small for her age and frail from the famine.

Anna Canada’s middle-class parents are forced to choose between several options, none of which are good. They hear of opportunities in America. However, the journey is a six-to eight-week stint on a “coffin ship.”

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The family sailed from Dublin in 1855. Anna Canady is only twelve. She vividly remembers waving to her grandmother from the Dublin Port with tears in both of their eyes. She would never see her grandmother again but would cling to her last words.

The Irish huddled masses cold on a “coffin ship.” They hold onto the hope of a better future in America and maintained their faith in God.

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During the famine, 75% of the Irish immigrants to America arrived in New York. By 1850, one in four residents of New York was Irish-born.

New York will be their new home if they survive the journey on the coffin ship. The Industrial Revolution, which marked the transition from hand production methods to machine-based and iron production, provided ample employment opportunities.

The South, where cotton is king, is different. New Orleans is a much cheaper port—$1.50 for the transatlantic voyage, half price for children.

Emigrants sail free when used as human ballast in the cargo hulls of empty ships. The weight is needed on their return voyages to New Orleans after unloading their heavy cargo of cotton. However, slaves do all the manual labor in Louisiana. Therefore, employment for Irish immigrants is a greater challenge than in the North.

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The infamous coffin ships exceeded their reputation on Anna’s ship. The 400 starving refugees are without toilets, with entire families in one bunk bed, and very little food.

Coffin ships carrying emigrants are crowded and disease-ridden. There is poor access to clean water, resulting in the deaths of many Irish as they cross the Atlantic. This led to the 1847 North American typhus epidemic.

As bodies are thrown overboard, sharks follow the coffin ship.

Anna’s parents die from the disease on the voyage when an outbreak sweeps the ship. Anna watches as her mother and father are buried at sea. Sharks appear within minutes. Young Anna turns away.

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The twelve-year-old devastated child is alone with no hope, even if she survives. Just when it seems things cannot get worse, they do. Due to the epidemic on board, the ship cannot dock on the East Coast of the United States.

Their only hope is the faraway city of slaves, New Orleans. The city of New Orleans is the largest slave market in the United States. Soon, that issue will boil over into a Civil War.

The Irish are pouring into New Orleans. Most women do not have the skills or education, especially a twelve-year-old malnourished girl. Over 9,000, 8% of the population, died of yellow fever in New Orleans two years before. Many of the dead in New Orleans are recent Irish immigrants without any acquired immunity.

Child abuse and prostitution are commonplace for the poorest immigrants. The New Orleans’s Brothels are well represented when Anna’s ship docks in New Orleans.

Contrary to popular belief, the Irish are not only employed as common laborers. Half of the Irish men listed in the 1850 New Orleans census have other occupations. Irish males are represented in nearly every field, from medicine to education to engineering.

A twelve-year-old Irish Orphan, an Irish Cop and a New Orleans’ Brothel Madam

Twelve-year-old and alone, Anna Canady debarks on a New Orleans’s levee and is noticed by two people.

The first, a brothel madam, walks towards her with a smile. The other, whom she later refers to as an angel, is a New Orleans police officer. Not any cop, but an Irish cop. The Irish cop addresses Anna in Irish Gaelic. He is her First Angel.

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When Anna debarks the ship, two other New Orleans occupations are represented. One is an Irish cop, and the other is a brothel madam on New Orleans’s dock. The latter smiles. The madam turns and walks away when the cop sternly stares at her. The Irish cop escorts young Anna to the Ursuline Convent of New Orleans. He softly speaks Irish Gaelic and holds her hand the entire walk. Anna has a glimmer of hope.

Upon her arrival, the well-meaning Ursuline Convent boards Anna out to a family. Anna receives food and shelter for her manual labor.

Anna knows it will be hard work. She doesn’t know that over the next five years, she will endure horrible abuse.

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The conversation in Anna’s abuser’s home is as in all homes in the Deep South. The North is sure to put a stranglehold on the mighty Mississippi River, the lifeline of Louisiana. Anna overhears these conversations. A Civil War is on the horizon. The South is on the verge of rebellion.

Anna vows never to be abused again but is aware that extensive marshes and swamps surround New Orleans. Snakes, alligators, and insects saturated the terrain.

Anna Canady’s Great Escape

If Anna is ever to escape, it must be now. The North is sure to blockade the Mississippi River. At 17, Anna Canady escapes from her abusers. Anna recalls the scripture from Psalms. Her grandmother quoted it to her as she left Ireland: He shall give His angels charge over you.

Anna clings to a log. She swims through an alligator and water-moccasin-infested swamp. She clings to the hope of angelic protection. When Anna’s ship docked in New Orleans, she was misinformed by the captain. She is told that many other cities are filled with Irish immigrants. Cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Boston are only two or three days from New Orleans by horse. Anna clings to that hope.

Anna soon encounters a swollen stream between her and the Mississippi River, her only hope of escape. She commandeers another log. But this time, the flooded bayou sweeps her back toward her abuser’s home.

“So help me God, I will never be abused again,” Anna’s vow echoes in her mind.

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Anna sees an old man on horseback downstream and screams for help. He rides into the bayou and throws a wide loop. The old man pulls her to shore with his rope firmly attached to his saddle horn.

The old man swings a wide loop to rope Anna in a Louisiana swamp. He is her Second Angel.

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Anna is emaciated and can hardly stand. The old man feeds her from his saddlebags, explaining he is a Christian. Anna mumbles, “Irish Catholic, are you Catholic?”

“No, Baptist.” Her heart sinks, for she has seen Protestants’ hatred for Catholics in Ireland.

Anna never weighed more than a hundred pounds. She was quiet, reserved, and unassuming. She loved to read and often spoke of her grandmother’s books and China glass in Ireland. She loved playing with her grandchildren and often sang songs with a gospel message.

The Famine Memorial, officially titled Famine, is a memorial in Dublin, Ireland. The memorial stands on Customs House Quay. It is in remembrance of the Great Famine. The Great Famine resulted in the country’s population being halved through death and emigration.

James K. Polk Willis and Anna Canady Marry

Anna Canady married Polk Willis three years after the Civil War (1868). Irish women are slow to marry and, in Anna’s case, slow to trust. She had known Polk for eight years before marriage. They were friends for 61 years and married for 53 years. Their descendants, like Joseph Willis’s, would change American history. Polk Willis is Anna’s fourth Angel.

The Great Famine decimates Anna’s native Irish language, including the pronunciation of her last name. However, it did not destroy her stories or her love of music. Both have a profound effect on her descendants. One rises to the pinnacle of music success in Louisiana and a city called Nashville.

In a strange dichotomy, this story involves me, too. Looking back over a half-century, I stand amazed.

Ca: 1888. Polk Willis and Anna Canady Willis with their youngest child, Lettie Caroline Willis (16) and Marshall Willis (15). Polk and Anna raised their grandson Marshall. Lettie’s daughters provided me with much of this story.

Lettie Caroline Willis (left) with her mother Anna Canady Willis, Oakdale, Louisiana.

These Irish emigrants survived with only the hope of a better life and their trust in God.

Anna Canady Willis passed her love of stories and song to her daughter. Lettie Caroline Willis would do the same to her children and grandchildren. Thus began an incredible journey to the pinnacle of the music industry.

Lettie Caroline Willis married Hardy Laird in 1904. She was only 16, and Hardy was a year older, 17. I interviewed three of her daughters and numerous other family members. Lettie died in 1974. Another daughter of Lettie was Essie Laird Kennedy. She married Gordon Kennedy, who was Gordon Kennedy’s grandfather and namesake.

Gordon Kennedy’s son was Jerry Kennedy. Essie was a fan of country music. I spoke to Jerry Kennedy several times on the phone about this story. He resides with his wife in an assisted living facility. Jerry has his Great-great-grandmother Anna Canady Willis’s love of music.

Jerry texted me: “My mother was Aunt Billie’s [my friend] sister. Her name is Essie Laird Kennedy. She married Gordon Kennedy.

Jerry Kennedy Shreveport, Louisiana

Jerry Kennedy attended various shows around the Shreveport area as a boy, including the legendary Louisiana Hayride. He remembers attending Hank Williams’s last show at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium. Jerry said, “I was a kid sittin’ on the front row.”

In 1954, Elvis Presley performed on the Louisiana Hayride. Jerry Kennedy attended the event with his friend Roy Dea, whom Jerry had known since first grade. “We rode together to the show on Roy’s motor scooter,” Jerry said. “It could not have been very safe.”

Jerry recalled their frustration with the young girls screaming incessantly. Their screams prevented Jerry and Roy from clearly hearing Scotty Moore, Elvis’s guitar player, during the performance. “We got mad at all of the girls screamin’ because we couldn’t hear Scotty when Elvis was doin’ his shakin’. It upset us that we couldn’t hear the guitar.”

Jerry Kennedy told me he had never heard the name Elvis Presley before that night. Eight years later, in 1962, Jerry played guitar on the #1 hit Good Luck Charm by Elvis. It was recorded at RCA Studio B in Nashville. Jerry played on Elvis’s (You’re the) Devil in Disguise album the following year (1963). And many more sides.

Jerry also played in 1964 on Elvis’s movie soundtrack Kissin’ Cousins, the only Elvis movie soundtrack produced in Nashville.

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Jerry Kennedy received his first guitar before he was nine. He began taking lessons from legendary guitarist and Hayride regular Tillman Franks. At 10, he was a finalist in the annual Bob Wills Talent Discovery Show. At 11, he signed a singing contract with RCA. By 18, he had joined the Hayride’s house band. There, he backed stars like Faron Young and Johnny Horton.

A postcard that Jerry Kennedy sent to Tillman Franks in 1953.

Gordon Kennedy’s parents were professional musicians from Shreveport. They moved to Nashville when he was 14 months old. They hoped to advance their careers. His father, Jerry Kennedy, played guitar in the Louisiana Hayride’s house band. Gordon’s late mother, Linda Brannon, was a singer on Ram Records and the Louisiana Hayride.

Three Shreveport Women: Mira Ann Smith, Maggie Lewis, and Linda Brannon Shattering the Glass Ceiling

In 1955, Mira Ann Smith (often credited as Myra Smith) founded Royal Audio Music, Inc. (a.k.a. Ram Records and became one of the first women to own a record company. Smith was born in 1926 in Alexandria, Louisiana, 20 miles from where I was raised in Longleaf. She grew up singing in the choir of the local Baptist church, where several of my cousins were in attendance. Her success led some in the music business to dub her “the female Sam Phillips.”

Mira Ann Smith is best known for the songs she wrote with singer/songwriter Margaret “Maggie” Lewis (Warwick). Many of these songs charted on the Billboard Top 10. Smith and Lewis found their greatest songwriting success with singer Jeannie C. Riley. These include The Girl Most Likely, Oh Singer, The Rib, and There Never Was a Time.

Linda Brannon was Ram Records’ best-selling artist. Smith used the talents of some of Shreveport’s best musicians, including James Burton and Jerry Kennedy. The first recording for 16-year-old guitar player James Burton was on Ram Records.

The Bighorn Trail Show showcases Ram Records’ teenage singer, Linda Brannon, with James Burton on guitar. Fairview-Alpha School in Natchitoches Parish in May 1956.

Linda Brannon (15) with James Burton (16) on guitar. The Big Horn Trail Show. Fairview-Alpha School in Natchitoches Parish in May 1956. Dominique Anglares (to the far right in the photo) writes (November 1, 2020, Old Guitars in B&W) about this photograph on Facebook:

“Mira Smith, being a very competent guitar player liked to have in her studio local musicians such as James Burton, Joe Osborn (then playing guitar), Billy Sanford, Jerry Kennedy and Shelton Bissell. The first releases on Mira’s Ram record label were mainly country numbers like “Cheating On Me”/”Careless Loving” (RAM 26626) by Larry Bamburg (wrongly spelled as Bamberg) with James Burton on lap steel guitar and Leon Post on piano under the name of The Louisiana Drifters.

“That “Bighorn Trail Show” set by Mira Smith’s was played for at Fairview-Alpha School in Natchitoches Parish in May of 1956. The last, but not the least, the Dominique mentioned by Larry Bamburg (fiddler) on that picture is me.”

Like Mira Smith, Maggie Lewis loved rockabilly and rhythm and blues. Linda Brandon was, to my ear, a blues singer in the beginning.

In 1981, Maggie Lewis returned to Shreveport and married Alton Warwick, a cousin of Mira Smith.

In 2018, the Academy Award-winning movie Green Book featured six songs from the Ram label.

Linda Brannon was Ram Records’ first big-selling artist. In 1958, at age 17, she recorded the singles, Wherever You Are and Just Another Lie. Demand for the album was too great for the small Ram studio to handle. Smith leased it out to Chess Records for distribution. Billboard reviewed the album and gave it a three-star rating.

Linda Brannon joined the famed KWKH Louisiana Hayride cast when she was seventeen. She had several recordings for the RAM (Royal Audio Music, Inc.) label and already had a couple of releases when she joined the Hayride cast in September of 1957. Her first appearance as a professional singer was with the Big Horn Trail Show. Her first theater appearance was with the Court Yard Players in Shreveport.

Contract signing for all three recording artists for the Louisiana Hayride. Johnny Horton is seated with pen in hand. Linda Brannon and Johnny Mathis are standing. Tillman Franks is seated beside Johnny Horton.

Tillman Franks was the manager for both Horton and Mathis. Linda Brannon was also a Louisiana Hayride star.

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Linda Brannon, who co-starred with Johnny Horton on the Louisiana Hayride, married Jerry Kennedy in 1958. They were only 17. The next year, Jerry Kennedy played on a demo for Johnny Horton entitled The Battle of New Orleans. Johnny Horton’s final version, recorded at Bradley Studios in Nashville, scored number 1 on the Billboard 100 in 1959. Johnny Horton was at the pinnacle of his music career. The Battle of New Orleans stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks.

The Louisiana Hayride stars often toured together, which involved piling into one or two automobiles in those days. Johnny Horton was booked to play the Skyline Club on November 4, 1960. The club was located north of Austin’s city limits in those days. Jerry Kennedy and Linda Brannon were Johnny Horton’s opening act on many of his shows. Jerry Kennedy would then join Johnny Horton’s sets along with Tommy Tomlinson on guitar and Tillman Franks on upright bass. Franks was also Johnny Horton’s manager.

The Skyline Club, Austin, Texas, was demolished in 1989.

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During its honky-tonk heyday, the Skyline booked Bob Wills. He had an unusual addition when he arrived with the Texas Playboys: a tour bus.  Jim Reeves purchased a bus on January 23, 1961, for over $7,000. So rare was this that the buses became “celebrities” and later tourist attractions.

As late as 1960, other superstars who played at the famed honkytonk, the Skyline, traveled by automobile. The list included Elvis, Johnny Cash, and George Jones. It also had Patsy Cline, Lefty Frizzell, and Kitty Wells. Additional names were Webb Pierce, Jim Reeves, and Marty Robbins. None of them owned a tour bus in 1960. Who could afford $7,000 in 1960? You could buy a lovely home for that.

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The year before the Skyline gig, Linda Brannon Kennedy was nine months pregnant on November 28, 1959. On that day, Johnny Horton boarded a chartered bus in Shreveport. Jerry Kennedy was part of the entourage. The bus was loaded with the Louisiana Hayride cast and crew, headed to Harlingen, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley for a huge show. As they progressed down the road, Horton was seated towards the front of the bus.

Johnny Horton stood and walked to the back of the bus, where Kennedy was seated. Johnny Horton said but three words to Jerry Kennedy and returned to his seat: “Linda just dominoed.”

That’s all he said. Jerry did not know what to think, for the then-popular metaphor could mean several things. Jerry could not have the bus driver call Linda because the bus did not have a two-way radio. One metaphor for “dominoed” was to have a male baby. The metaphor for a baby girl was “bingoed.” No, that’s not it, Kennedy surmised, for how could Johnny Horton know that? Jerry had just kissed Linda goodbye a couple of hours before.

Then they all heard the sound of a Texas highway siren. As the flashing lights lit up the side of the bus, the officer boarded the bus. His first words were, ” Is there a Jerry Kennedy on this bus?”

“Yes, sir, I’m him,” Jerry said as he stood, wondering if he was in trouble.

“Congratulations, your wife has had a baby boy.” It was not the first time Johnny Horton’s premonitions had come true. Nor would it be the last. Johnny Horton’s last one would evolve Jerry Kennedy and Linda Brannon Kennedy, too. It would change all of their lives and the history of music.

Linda Brannon, the Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport. Radio and later television shows.

Johnny Horton loads his 1959 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special before a road trip.

Johnny Horton had a premonition that he would die young at the hands of a drunk man. The late Merle Kilgore shared that story, as did many others. He recounted how, some six months before Horton’s death, Horton came over to the fence that separated their backyards. Horton was carrying a guitar. When Kilgore came over to talk with him, Horton handed him the guitar.

Horton said, “I’ve got the feelin’ Ol’ John’s not gonna be around much longer. I want you to have this.” Kilgore tried to give back the instrument, but Horton refused to take it.

Johnny Horton told family and friends he would die soon, and his death would be alcohol related. Johnny Horton never drank and did not approve of other musicians doing it either. When asked if he’d like a beer or mixed drink, Horton always replies, “No, thank you.” He’d often say, “I’m a ‘”teetotaler” or “‘teetotaler’ or ‘I’m on the wagon,” according to Jerry. Both were popular idioms describing someone who does not drink alcohol.

As his apprehension grew. He visited his mother in her home near Rusk, Texas. This was on the way to his show at the Skyline. He graduated from nearby Gallatin High School. His roots were deep in Cherokee County, Texas. Horton’s father died the year before. He needed time alone with his mother.

Jerry Kennedy told me recently that Horton always stopped when they were in the area. He would have a cup of coffee at his mother’s home. Jerry added, “We stopped at least a half dozen times. Johnny would always tell us to wait in the car. After a cup of coffee, he returned to the car, and we were off again.”

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Following graduation from high school in 1944, Johnny Horton attended a Methodist seminary with the intent of joining the ministry.

Johnny Horton and Johnny Cash. Throughout the Gospels, our Savior often retreats from the crowds. He withdraws from the noise to spend time alone with the Father. Sometimes it’s with one or more friends such as Peter, James, and John.

Mark 6:31 records His words to the disciples: “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” That same invitation still stands for us today.

When Johnny Horton reached the Skyline Club, his concern grew to a fever pitch. He refused to go into the Skyline’s bar and dining hall for food, for fear that a drunk would start a fight and kill him.

The Skyline closed at midnight due to liquor laws. Horton’s trepidation surely would pass once he got back home in Shreveport. Horton had plans to meet up-and-coming singer Claude King in the morning, the first day of duck-hunting season. They had built a duck blind. Johnny Horton never made it.

On Hwy 79 in Milano, northeast of Austin, Horton was driving his automobile. As he crossed a bridge over a railroad trestle, a Ford Ranchero pickup coming his way clipped the guardrail. It then careened into Horton’s car head-on. The beloved singer was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital in Cameron at 1:45 a.m.

Johnny Horton was 35. Passengers Tillman Franks, his bass-playing manager, and guitarist Tommy Tomlinson survived the accident, but were badly hurt, with Tomlinson requiring a leg amputation. The other driver, a drunk 19-year-old Texas A&M student named James Evan Davis, had only minor injuries. The year after the drunk-driving accident, James Evan Davis was found guilty of murder without malice. He received just two years’ probation.

In the September 14, 1975, article “A Widow of 2 Legends” in the Shreveport Times, Billie Jean Horton spoke about her husband, Johnny Horton’s last night. She shared what Tillman Franks told her. As they approached Milano, Johnny Horton looked at Franks and said, “Tillman, you know, God has been very good to me.” A few minutes later, Johnny Horton was dead.

Johnny Horton no doubt remembered Milano. It was the town he was passing through when he first heard about Hank Williams’ death on the radio.

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Johnny Horton’s widow was the former Billie Jean Jones Williams, who had been married previously to Hank Williams Sr. when he died, in a Cadillac eight years before on New Year’s Day 1953. It is an eerie coincidence. Hank’s final public performance was also at the Skyline Club on December 19, 1952. Horton married Billie Jean Williams on September 26, 1953, nine months after Hank’s death. 

In an interview, Billie Jean stated that she got an eerie feeling. It happened when her husband, Johnny Horton, kissed her goodbye for the last time. Hank Williams had also kissed her in that same spot on her cheek. It happened when he left on his way to his next performance two weeks after playing the Skyline Club. Hank Williams never made it. He died en route to a concert in Canton, Ohio, in the back seat of a Cadillac.

There is no plaque marking the site of the venue, where Johnny Horton and Hank Williams last performed publicly. I once told the folks at CVS Pharmacy that “Hank Williams, Johnny Horton, and Elvis once played on this site.” I thought they were going to cancel my prescription, although I wasn’t slurring my words.

Hank Williams married 19-year-old Billie Jean on October 18, 1952. This was two and a half months before his death on New Year’s Day 1953.

Billie Jean Jones was introduced to Hank Williams by her then-boyfriend, country singer Faron Young. There are numerous versions of how she ended up marrying Hank Williams. I’ll choose one, lest I write an entire book: Faron Young’s version. Hank Williams met Billie Jean Jones during Faron Young’s first guest appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. Hank introduced Faron on stage that night. Hank also spotted Billie Jean with Faron after his performance. Hank introduced himself and said, “I’m going to marry you.” He then told Faron that Billie Jean was going to be his girl.

On YouTube, in a video entitled “Faron Young interview 1989 – Bill Collie – Faron Young Audio Biography,” Faron Young tells the story. Around 28 minutes into the video, Hank Williams introduces Faron Young on the Opry. Hank pulls a gun on Faron. Faron responded: “Take her, take her, don’t shoot me.” Three weeks later, Hank married Billie Jean, according to Faron. Has this story been embellished? I don’t know, but you can see why scriptwriters love the story.

Tommy Hill, Hank Williams, Socko Sokolowski, and Johnny Horton. September 1952, The Louisiana Hayride, in Shreveport. Johnny Horton joined the Louisiana Hayride in 1952. Hank Williams returned to the Louisiana Hayride in September of 1952. He had been fired by the Grand Ole Opry the previous month.

The Louisiana Hayride, where he appeared often, drew Horton to Shreveport in 1952.  Horton had his first hit with Honky Tonk Man in 1956.  Though he’d been recording since 1950, Horton didn’t have his first No. 1 hit until 1959. As a struggling singer in the early 1950s, Horton became friends with Hank Williams. Like most of Horton’s friends, they fished together because Johnny Horton’s passion was hunting and fishing.

Hank Williams and Johnny Horton are fishing in 1952. Horton did not drink or smoke. I am not sure what that is in his mouth. According to Hank’s then-wife, Billie Jean Williams, he introduced her to Horton. She did not know Horton well until after Hank’s death.

In an interview in the Shreveport Times Billie Jean Horton said: “Hank was actually a fan of Johnny’s and used to listen to every record Johnny would come out with,” she recalled. “He would stop the car if we were riding along and Johnny came on the radio.

“I remember the last record Hank heard him sing — ‘The Child’s Side of Life,’ which was a real dog, too. Hank said, ‘Wait a minute, baby, let’s hear this kid.’ After it was over, he turned it off and he said, ‘No son, this one ain’t gonna make it!’ But he told me that one day Johnny would be one of the biggest stars in the business.”

Best friends Johnny Horton and Johnny Cash with wives Billie Jean Horton and Vivian Cash.

I lived within a mile of the Skyline Club at 12319 Blue Water Drive for over two decades. This was after the Skyline Club became a CVS Pharmacy. The location is at the corner of West Braker Lane and North Lamar Boulevard. North Lamar was the old Dallas Highway in 1960. This is in North Austin today, but four miles North of Austin in 1960. Even Elvis played the Skyline Club on October 6, 1955.

Elvis also performed at my alma mater. He played in Evans Auditorium at Southwest Texas State University (Texas State University) on that day, too. No, I was not there. I was only five years old. However, everyone in Texas was at the Skyline Club when Hank Willis performed on my third birthday, December 19, 1952.

For decades, I have spoken to scores of people who attended Hank Williams’s last performance on December 19, 1952. Others claimed they were at Johnny Horton’s last performance on November 4, 1960. A few said they were at both.

And one who said she was at the crash scene in Milano after midnight that tragic night.  She said she and the others did not believe the driver was Johnny Horton, for he appeared almost bald. What they did not know was that Johnny Horton wore a toupee. Several gawkers even took souvenirs from the crash site.

Johnny Horton’s Cadillac. November 5, 1960. Milano, Texas. The bridge over a railroad trestle has been widened from two to four lanes since the tragic accident. Milano was the town Johnny Horton was passing through when he first heard about Hank Williams’ death on the radio.

Recently (August 2025), Gordon Kennedy shared with me a story his father, Jerry Kennedy, told to his son, Dylan Kennedy. It occurred while Gordon and Dylan visited his grandfather. Dylan played a tune, Over the Rainbow, on his mandolin during the visit. Jerry asked Dylan whose arrangement that was.

“Jethro Burns,” Dylan said. That answer brought a story to Jerry’s mind from long ago. Neither Dylan nor his father Gordon had heard this part of the story. I don’t believe the complete story has ever been written. I called Jerry for the exact details.

Tillman Franks asked Jerry and his wife, Linda Brannon Kennedy, to travel to Austin. They would go in Johnny Horton’s Cadillac. This was for his show at the Skyline Club on November 4, 1960. Linda was often Johnny Horton’s opening act, with Jerry playing backup and then doing the same for Horton’s sets.

Jerry and Linda Kennedy had a prior commitment and could not make the Skyline gig. They did not have enough notice. They were exhausted from driving from Shreveport to Nashville with Tommy Tomlinson. They made this journey to finish their album “Tom and Jerry.” They had completed the album the morning before Tillman’s call.

Dylan Kennedy’s rendition of Over the Rainbow made Jerry reminisce. Jerry shared Tillman Franks’ request again. He wanted Dylan’s grandparents, Jerry Kennedy and Linda Brannon Kennedy, to open for Johnny Horton on that ill-fated night.

But this time, Jerry added what their previous plans were: he and Linda had tickets to see Homer and Jethro at a CMA dinner. Homer and Jethro released Over the Rainbow in 1947. As a mandolinist in the classic comedy duo Homer & Jethro, Jethro Burns was one of the finest in Nashville. They were a big deal in 1960, for musicians and recording artists. And they were funny.

Tommy Tomlinson flew back to Shreveport to meet Johnny Horton and Tillman Franks for their last show together. Johnny Horton would be killed, and Tommy would lose a leg. Tillman received a head injury.

Jerry and Linda were staying at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville. Early the next morning, they were awoken by pounding on the door. The man was crying uncontrollably. All he could say was “Johnny Horton has been killed in a car wreck.” His name was Johnny Cash.

My former pastor, the late Dr. Ralph Smith, at Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin, once told me something memorable. In every counseling session he had conducted over 35 years, one word always came up. That word was “if.

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The movie North to Alaska, starring John Wayne, was released two days after Johnny Horton’s death. Johnny Horton sang the theme song to the movie by the same name during the opening credits of the film. Tillman Franks co-wrote the song with Mike Phillips. North to Alaska reached #1 on Billboard’s Country singles chart.

Jerry Kennedy played on the demo but not the movie’s version of North to Alaska. Jerry told me he was in the back seat of Johnny Horton’s car as they wrote the song. Jerry told them the line “So though in Nome, Alaska, that canary bird sang base,” was not good. They deleted it. However, it remains on one of the demos on YouTube. The demo is entitled “North to Alaska – UNRELEASED BEST version by Johnny Horton.” That’s Jerry Kennedy on the banjo.

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Jerry Kennedy and Linda Brannon worked with Johnny Horton and were close friends to him. Jerry Kennedy and Linda Brannon married in 1958. They were only 17. At the time, she was on Ram Records.  She would later record for Epic Records (63-64). Jerry produced her on Epic.

Gordon Kennedy’s parents are Jerry Kennedy and Linda Brannon.

Gordon Kennedy’s parents, Jerry Kennedy and Linda Brannon

Linda Brannon and Jerry Kennedy

Linda Brannon with Jerry Kennedy on the right. Jerry said they sang, Short Shorts on the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport. What a fun song to sing for two teenagers in love.

 [Intro] *Whistle* Hmm, man, dig that crazy chick [Verse] 

Who wears short shorts?
We wear short shorts
They’re such short shorts
We like short shorts
Who wears short shorts?
We wear short shorts

Gordon Kennedy with his mother, Linda Brannon Kennedy. Sadly, she died at age 50 on March 9, 1991. She had been diagnosed with cancer two years before.

Jerry moved to Nashville in 1961, seeking session work in the booming Nashville recording scene. After only a few weeks, homesick, he decided to return to Shreveport. Then he landed a job as Shelby Singleton’s assistant at Smash Records (a subsidiary of Mercury Records founded in 1961). Gordon was only 14 months old. When Shelby left Mercury, 24-year-old Jerry Kennedy began a 21-year run as the head of Mercury Records in Nashville.

Jerry Kennedy made a significant mark as a producer for Smash Records. He achieved this with the colossal crossover hits he scored with artist Roger Miller. When Miller mentioned he needed $1,600 to move to Los Angeles, Kennedy agreed to give him the money. He would do this if Miller cut sixteen songs.

The payment was set at $100 per side for Smash. With Jerry producing, Miller cut the songs in three sessions over two days. The first single, Dang Me, hit the country charts in June of 1964. It went straight to Number 1 and stayed there for six weeks. Then, it crossed over to No. 7 on the pop charts. Its follow-up, “Chug-a-Lug,” was also a pop Top 10. Their biggest hit came the following year with the multi-million-selling King of the Road. Jerry Kennedy soon gained recognition as one of Nashville’s hottest producers. He helped Miller earn 11 Grammy’s in 1964 and 1965.

When Jerry met with the Mercury executives at their Chicago headquarters, Roger Miller’s Dang Me was not his first choice. Jerry’s choice for Roger Miller’s first single was You Got 2 Again.

When Jerry receives the test pressing vinyl record in the mail, to ensure that the sound quality and physical characteristics meet expectations, his four-year-old son Gordon and his two-year-old brother Bryan run into the room in their underwear when Dang Me comes on.

As they boogie to the song, Jerry says, “Uh, on.” He calls Irwin Steinberg, the president of Mercury Records in Chicago and ask, “How hard is it to change the “A” side on Roger’s first single?”

Mr. Steinberg responds, “How sure are you about this? We’ve pressed 5,000 already.”

“I’m sure,” Jerry said. Mercury changed Roger Miller’s first single to Dang Me based on the two new “A&R boys” in their underwear’s, reaction. Dang Me sold over a million units.

Later, in 1971, Jerry Kennedy received a massive box of sorted records, which he did several times a year, that included all the Mercury artists. Rod Stewart’s new album, Every Picture Tells a Story is in the box.

Mr. Steinberg asks Jerry Kennedy to ask his son Gordon which song on the album he likes. Gordon listens to the album and reports that his favorite is Maggie May. Later, it is released as a single, selling 2.5 million units worldwide.

Jerry Kennedy’s iconic opening riff on Roy Orbison’s Oh, Pretty Woman

Julia Roberts decked out to the nines on Rodeo Drive comes to mind. This happens whenever I hear Jerry Kennedy’s opening licks on Oh, Pretty Woman. Orbison kicked off with the 12-string. Jerry Kennedy plays his 1961 Gibson ES335. Jerry’s Shreveport guitar-picking buddy Billy Sanford joins in, using a Gibson ES-125 electric guitar. Guitarist Wayne Moss also joins in. “If you listen real close, you’ll hear Orbison’s 12-string,” Jerry said.

A landmark rock-guitar riff was born. Oh, Pretty Woman reached #1 in America and several other countries today as one of Orbison’s greatest hits.

Bob Dylan used Jerry Kennedy in recording his classic album Blonde on Blonde in 1966.

Jerry Kennedy has received four Grammy Awards. His Dobro and guitar playing have been featured on the albums of varied artists. These artists include Elvis Presley, Kris Kristofferson, and Ringo Starr.

Jerry is one of the lead architects who created the Nashville sound. He played the hound-dog dobro on Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley PTA” and on many of Tom T. Hall’s most iconic songs. He guided Jerry Lee Lewis through a decade of sessions. These sessions resulted in some of the most incredible country music that has ever been made.

As Mercury Records’ head Nashville producer from 1962 to 1984, Jerry Kennedy crafted some of Nashville’s most enduring recordings. These include works from Roger Miller to Charlie Rich. They include Jerry Lee Lewis to Reba McEntire, and The Statler Brothers to Tom T. Hall.

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But another Jerry Kennedy-produced song on Roger Miller would soon sell five times more than “Dang Me.” It was entitled King of the Road, and it would become one of the biggest hits in history. The song won Roger Miller five Grammy Awards in 1966.

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My cousin and Gordon’s father Jerry Kennedy ran Mercury Records in Nashville for 21 years (Vice President of A&R for Country Music for Mercury Records). I was brought up as a boy in Longleaf, Louisiana. I knew several of Jerry’s aunts and cousins. Jerry was born in Shreveport. We are descendants of Rev. Joseph Willis, a Baptist preacher who swam the Mississippi River on a mule in 1798 to enter the Louisiana Territory. He was the first Protestant preacher West of the Mississippi River.

Gordon Kennedy and Peter Frampton

Gordon and Peter Frampton collaborated on many projects. Gordon has co-written numerous songs for Peter Frampton, including tracks for Frampton’s albums Now and Fingerprints.

Gordon Kennedy co-produced Frampton’s Fingerprints album, which won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album. Gordon often performs with Peter Frampton on tour and in live settings. A strong friendship led to their collaborative efforts.

Gordon Kennedy with Peter Frampton playing Gordon’s Del Langejans’ guitar.

Gordon Kennedy with Peter Frampton in a radio station in Germany, 2003. By now they both have Del Langejans’ guitars.

Gordon Kennedy and Ricky Skaggs

Mosaic is a collection of songs praising Jesus written or co-written by co-producer Gordon Kennedy. Mosaic was a Grammy nominee for Best Gospel Album. Gordon Kennedy’s song Return to Sender was nominated for Best Gospel Song.

Ricky Skaggs and Gordon Kennedy

George Beverly Shea and Gordon Kennedy. Montreat, North Carolina.

Temporary Backstory: Family Background

Gordon Kennedy resides near Nashville, TN, with his wife Tracey and their two children. Gordon and Tracey were married in 1987. His son, Dylan is already an accomplished mandolin player and builder, following in his father and grandfather’s musical footsteps. His daughter, Caitlin, currently works at one of the music industry’s most beloved non-profits, Music Health Alliance.

In Shreveport, LA. Jerry and Linda (Brannon) met as teenagers in 1957 while singing and performing on the Louisiana Hayride. Jerry had signed a recording contract with RCA Records when he was 11, and Linda was signed to Ram Records in Shreveport and then Epic Records.

The couple relocated to Nashville in 1961 as the country music boom was just getting underway. Jerry was asked to work as a talent scout for Smash Records, a subsidiary of Mercury Records. He then began producing and playing in recording sessions. A recipient of four Grammys, Kennedy’s Dobro and guitar playing have been featured on the albums of artists as varied as Elvis Presley, Kris Kristofferson and Ringo Starr. Another work done by Kennedy on Dobro was Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley PTA“. Kennedy played on or produced nearly all of the country music records of Jerry Lee Lewis. He was one of the session musicians used by Bob Dylan in recording his classic album Blonde on Blonde, in 1966. 

Gordon has two brothers and between them they continue the multi-talented music industry legacy of their parents. His brother, Bryan is tour manager and “all-purpose multi-threat guy for Garth,” explains Gordon. He is a 3-time #1 hit songwriter, an author, actor, novelist, playwright and life coach. Youngest brother Shelby is a multifaceted entertainment executive, music publisher, producer, songwriter, artist manager, and studio vocalist. He penned the theme song for the Reba television series and is currently Vice President of Entertainment Relations at TuneCore.

Temporary Backstory: Gordon’s Life & Career

Gordon Kennedy is a multi-Grammy Award winning songwriter and record producer, a virtuoso guitarist, and a music industry visionary in Nashville. With his love for storytelling, vintage guitars and his deep knowledge of music history, he has emerged as one of Music City’s most beloved Ambassadors. Kennedy’s live shows are a treasure trove of colorful backstories and outstanding performances that one only as talented and immersed in rich experiences can truly deliver. He came by it honestly as the son of legendary guitarist, Jerry Kennedy.

Kennedy sites his guitar pickin’, record producing dad and his singing mom, Linda Brannon, as his biggest musical influences. “While other families might gather around the TV to enjoy time together,” Kennedy recalls, “we gathered around a tape machine. My dad would come home every night and bring us new music that he had just recorded. My brothers Bryan, Shelby and I couldn’t wait to hear from Roger Miller, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, The Statler Brothers or Jerry Lee Lewis.” The Meet the Beatles album his dad gave him when he was five, and more records from his father’s days as an executive of the Mercury Records office of Nashville, provided him with a diverse diet of music. This, along with a basement full of his father’s guitars, a jukebox and a piano, nourished and inspired him as he became one of music’s finest songwriters, producers and players.

Kennedy’s most successful composition is the international hit song “Change The World,” recorded by Eric Clapton for which Kennedy and his co-writers received a Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1996. The song won Record of the Year for Eric Clapton, and spent a record breaking 81 weeks on the top of the charts. In 2007 Kennedy also received a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album, co-producing, composing and performing on Peter Frampton’s Fingerprints album.  Bluegrass Legend Ricky Skaggs’s Grammy nominated Mosaic, released in 2010, was produced and co-written mostly by Kennedy. It was a career bending recording that was a departure from Skaggs’s bluegrass records. Skaggs called in Kennedy to produce after hearing his song demos. He wanted to recreate the Beatle-esqe musicality that Kennedy captures on the record.

In his early career, Kennedy was a member of the Christian Rock band White Heart for six years in the 1980s. His substituting on a few shows for high school friend Dan Huff ultimately led to a permanent position as the band’s lead guitar player and songwriter. Huff became a successful record producer and would later hire Kennedy to play on many records that became gold and platinum recordings. Kennedy played on Reba McEntire’s first #1 hit, “Can’t Even Get the Blues” in 1975 while a young student at Belmont University.

Kennedy recalls that songwriting began to click for him in 1991 when he began co-writing with his friend, Wayne Kirkpatrick. “Dogs of Peace” formed in 1995. Their first album, Speak, was released in 1996. Twenty years later, in 2016, Kennedy, Jimmie Sloas, Blair Masters, John Hammond and Jeff Balding reunited for a second album called Heel. Kennedy, Kirkpatrick and Tommy Sims would later join forces in co-writing one of the biggest chart topping hits of their generation, “Change The World.” Kennedy not only received a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1996, but in 2002 a plaque on the Record Walk of Fame. In June 1997, the Southern Songwriters Guild inducted Gordon into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in a ceremony in Louisiana.

As a songwriter, Kennedy has written 15 songs recorded by Garth Brooks. Kennedy co-wrote “You Move Me” recorded by Garth Brooks which reached #2 on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart in 1998. Brooks subsequently recorded ten more of Kennedy’s songs on his alter-ego album, The Life of Chris Gaines, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. Kennedy will join Garth Brooks 2019 Stadium Tour on guitar. “Garth and I have been friends for many years. It’s a great honor to be asked to tour with him and the other fine musicians that will be a part of the band.” It’s a feather in the cap of a successful career for Kennedy to accompany his friend Garth on this legendary tour. “It’s not just anyone I’d leave my family, the comfort of my home and my studio to hit the road with, but Garth’s an exception.”

Bonnie Raitt has said that Gordon Kennedy is “one of her favorite songwriters.” It’s no surprise then, that four of her five recent singles have been Kennedy compositions. Kennedy’s songs have also been recorded by artists including Alison Krauss, Stevie Nicks, Faith Hill, Don Henley, Tim McGraw, and Carrie Underwood. His compositions have been heard in the film soundtracks of Tin Cup, Phenomenon, For the Love of the Game, Where the Heart Is, Almost Famous, Summer Catch, Someone Like You, The Banger Sisters, Instant Family, and Disney’s The Fox & the Hound 2.

He has lent his talents as a player to Don Henley, Kenny Loggins, Reba McEntire, Michael McDonald, Leanne Rimes, Bruce Hornsby, Little Big Town and Shedaisy, among others.

Seals and Crofts 2, the Beatles cover band Mystery Trip, and Tom Petty cover band The Petty Junkies are current projects Kennedy enjoys. He recently produced Shifting Gears, the new solo project of his longtime friend Larry Stewart of Restless Heart.

As a Belmont University alumnus, Gordon has been recognized as a Morris Family Mentor & Lecture Series, Curb College Distinguished Lecturer, and in 2014 received the Curb College’s Robert E. Mulloy Award of Excellence. Kennedy currently serves on the Belmont University Advisory Board, and has served on the Board of Governors for the Nashville’s National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Kennedy has continually given to Belmont and its students for years. He has spoken at seminars, hosted events (including Belmont’s Homecoming concert, Homecoming in the Round), is an adjunct professor, and a student mentor.  Gordon is the fifth and final recipient of the Distinguished Lecturer, an honor given to industry professionals who inspire others through their work in the entertainment and music industry. In addition, Gordon served on Brentwood Academy’s Board of Trustees from 2007-2010 where he and his two children are graduates and remain active alumni.