Kenny Lynch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kenny Lynch OBE
Lynch in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Kenneth Lynch
Born	(1938-03-18)18 March 1938 Stepney, London, England
Died	18 December 2019(2019-12-18) (aged 81) England
Genres	Rock and roll, pop
Occupations	Singer songwriter entertainer actor
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1960–2019
Labels	HMV, Satril Records

Kenneth Lynch, also known as Kenny Lynch, was a talented English singer, songwriter, entertainer, and actor. He was born on March 18, 1938, and passed away on December 18, 2019. Kenny Lynch became famous in the 1960s for his appearances in many variety shows. He was one of the few black singers in British pop music during that time. For his contributions, he was honored with an OBE award in 1970.

Early Life and Family

Kenny Lynch grew up in Stepney, East London. He was one of 13 children in his family. His sister, Gladys, who was known as Maxine Daniels, became a well-known jazz singer.

Kenny's father was born in Barbados. His mother had mixed British and Jamaican heritage. After leaving school at 15, Kenny worked different jobs. He then joined the Royal Army Service Corps for his national service. While there, he became the boxing champion in the featherweight division for his regiment.

Kenny Lynch's Music Career

Kenny Lynch had several popular songs in the early 1960s. One of his first releases was "Twist Me Pretty Baby" with Bert Weedon in 1962. He had two songs that reached the top ten in the UK charts. These were "Up on the Roof" in January 1963 and "You Can Never Stop Me Loving You" in August 1963.

Working with The Beatles

Kenny Lynch is also known for recording "Misery". This was the first ever cover version of a Beatles song to be released. In early 1963, Lynch toured with the Beatles on their first British tour. John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote "Misery" hoping Helen Shapiro would record it. Her producer turned it down, but Kenny Lynch decided to record it. He gave the song a more pop sound than the Beatles used on their own album, Please Please Me.

While on tour, Kenny Lynch was on a bus with the Beatles. He reportedly offered to help them write a song. At the time, Lennon and McCartney were working on "From Me to You". Years later, Kenny Lynch appeared on the cover of the 1973 album Band on the Run by Wings.

Writing Songs for Others

Kenny Lynch wrote many of his own songs. He also covered songs by writers from the Brill Building. He wrote songs for other artists too. These included "Sha-La-La-La-Lee" for Small Faces, which became a UK hit. He also co-wrote "Love's Just a Broken Heart" for Cilla Black.

Kenny Lynch also wrote "You'd Better Believe It" and "Sorry She's Mine". These songs appeared on the Small Faces' first album in 1966.

Eurovision and Other Projects

In 1962, Kenny Lynch tried to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest. He sang "There's Never Been A Girl" in the "A Song for Europe" contest, but he did not win. He had more success in 1978 as a songwriter and producer. His song "Don't Bother to Knock" came in second place that year.

He also wrote "Love Crazy" for the film Carry On Emmannuelle. He wrote "You Can't Fight It", which was the vocal theme for the film Assault on Precinct 13. In the mid-1960s, Kenny Lynch owned his own record shop in Soho, London.

Kenny Lynch also helped produce a comedy song. It was a version of "You're the One That I Want" by Hylda Baker and Arthur Mullard. This song reached number 22 on the UK charts in 1978.

Television Appearances

Kenny Lynch appeared on many television shows. Some of these included Celebrity Squares, Mooncat & Co., and Room at the Bottom. He was also on Bullseye and Curry and Chips. Other shows he appeared on were Z-Cars, The Sweeney, Till Death Us Do Part, and Treasure Hunt.

Later Life and Activities

In 1982, Kenny Lynch completed the London Marathon. He also played in several charity football matches. He took part in celebrity cricket fundraisers organized by Michael Parkinson. In 2018, Kenny Lynch went on a concert tour with Jimmy Tarbuck and Anita Harris. He also appeared in the ITV show Last Laugh in Vegas.

Personal Life

Kenny Lynch had two daughters, Amy Lynch and Bobby Lynch. He passed away on December 18, 2019, at the age of 81. He had been battling cancer.

Chart Singles

Film Appearances

See also

• Popcorn (music style)