Kenny Loggins -

Kenny Loggins (born Jan. 7, 1948) is an American singer and songwriter from Everett, Wash. He rose to fame as part of the musical duo Loggins and Messina, which issued seven albums on Columbia between 1971 and 1976. In 1977, he debuted as a solo artist with the album Celebrate Me Home on Columbia, followed on that label with 10 further albums over the ensuing 20-year period.

His popularity peaked between 1980 and 1986 with hit soundtrack themes for Caddyshack (“I’m Alright”), Footloose (“Footloose,” “I’m Free (Heaven Helps the Man)”), and Top Gun (“Danger Zone”). His 1982 release High Adventure produced the smooth-rock evergreens “Heart to Heart,” “I Gotta Try,” and the Steve Perry duet “Don’t Fight It.” He also recorded charting duets with Stevie Nicks (“Whenever I Call You Friend”) and Michael McDonald (“This Is It”).

During the 2000s, the songs he wrote with McDonald — including “What a Fool Believes,” recorded by Loggins as well as McDonald’s band, The Doobie Brothers — were retroactively termed “yacht rock,” a nomenclature for West Coast AOR of the 1975–1983 period.

He was born Kenneth Clark Loggins on January 7, 1948, in Everett, Wash., the third of three boys borne to English/Irish-American salesman Robert George Loggins and Italian-born homemaker Lina (née Massie). His family bounced between Seattle and Detroit before settling in Alhambra, Calif.

Kenny’s second cousin, Dave Loggins (b. 1947), also became a singer and songwriter, hitting the charts in 1974 with “Please Come to Boston” (US #5). His older brother, Dan Loggins, became a producer and talent scout for CBS (Mott the Hoople, Sailor, Russ Ballard, Starry Eyed and Laughing).

Upon graduating high school, Loggins formed The Second Helping, a garage-rock five-piece signed to Viva Records, co-owned by actor Clint Eastwood. In 1967, they released three singles: “Don’t You Remember the Good Times” (b/w “Children of the Night”), “Floating Downstream on an Inflatable Rubber Raft” (b/w “On Friday“), and “Let Me In” (b/w “Hard Times”). Loggins penned the last four sides, which have featured in multi-artist sets on Sundazed Music, AIP Records, and U-Spaces.

After a brief, unrecorded stint with the Electric Prunes, Loggins contributed four songs (including “House at Pooh Corner”) to Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy, the 1970 fifth album by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. That same year, he joined the rustic-rock octet Gator Creek, which released a self-titled album on Mercury. It contains the first recording of “Danny’s Song,” later a hit for Canadian country singer Anne Murray (US #7, 1972).

In 1971, Loggins was preparing a solo album for ABC-Dunhill when he met producer, songwriter, and musician Jim Messina, who hailed from the folk-rock/country bands Buffalo Springfield and Poco. Messina enlisted a batch of musicians to record Loggins’ material and the two collaborated on new originals. By the time sessions wrapped, Messina proposed a co-billing, believing his name recognition could help boost the profile of Loggins, then an unknown. The resulting album, Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina Sittin’ In, appeared on Columbia in November 1971.

Though intended as a one-off, public acceptance of their album and its lead-off single “Vahevala” prompted the pair to continue as a musical duo. Their first proper album, Loggins and Messina, was released in October 1972, spawning the hit “Your Mama Don’t Dance” (US #4) and the fan-favorite “Angry Eyes.” Between 1973 and 1976, they released four further albums and a live double-album on Columbia.

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