Kenny the Cat

Kenny the Cat                                                                   Aug 13/16

I call him ‘The Cat’ as his career has had at LEAST as many lives as one.

            My first ‘contact’ w him was when I was with TPC/Quality and we had his record label ‘Jolly Roger’ he and Kim Vassy (of the First Edition) and they by then had their own TV show which is often a sign your career is over, altho Kennys ear ring was just beginning. But I had no direct contact at that point.

            Next, in another incarnation, the Solo Artist, he resurfaced on United Artist Records (not yet affiliated w RCA) and his single ‘The Gambler’ (1978) was blowing up on CHR/Top40, Pop Adult as well as Country Radio, and here he was playing the rootin’ tootin’ Newton Inn in Newton (now known as SaveOn Foods) which must have chaffed him. The date happened bcuz owner Ron Abrams could often score some pretty big names when a ‘Routing date’ came available and the venue was less than 30 minutes from the border, so he made hay on THAT one. Kenny would soon progress to soft seaters and then arenas.

            I wasn’t at that date so no contact yet.

            So now, I’m @ RCA Vancouver and United Artists is a distributed label (no promo, they did that) but as he was coming to the QET I was elected to Rep him as he was being presented with a Sales award plaque for Intergalactic sales of some LP, I don’t recall, BUT that was close encounter of the 3rd kind, to be repeated ad nauseam until I thought I’d start looking like him (bushy), and eventually I did altho it was working with Alan Jackson repeatedly,  that made me look tall.

            I did act as a Stunt Rep for UA another time or two, one was Canned Heat @The Cave, kind of double in-denimity (cough!).

The ‘Cat’ comes back…..

            Now, back to the future and Kenny’s back again, this time at the Coliseum, first time on his own and another date later on w Dolly Parton. So here we are ( Leagh Alden / RCA Vancouver Sales/Branch Mgr and myself; Leagh is dead by-the-way so if you want to ask him something, it’ll take a séance, just sayin’) and we have a LOAD of precious metal plaques for him and they’s HEAVY…Hi Kenny, I never met you before but I hernia!) that would be Leagh’s line as I DID meet him, but I couldn’t get that joke in otherwise; have pity.

            I should add that while I worked w Kenny a lot, I never had any long conversations w him, if you’re still talking to Kenny after 2 minutes and 30 seconds (and that’s a ‘record’ so to speak), then you’re talking to yourself or his stand-in brother Leland has stepped in, but that’s the gamble.

            I’m attaching some pics…one is Kenny and Dolly (who is one of THE Nicest people you could meet) getting plaqued for their Xmas LP as well as the Bajillion selling RCA LP ‘Islands in the Stream’ which is a terrific track, nearly addictive. Photo credit for this goes to our own local Mr T: Teurino Barbaro…who would mess with a guy with a name like that! He repped for MCA and later for the Vancouver Canucks back when they played more Hockey than Golf.

            The other is myself and the Late Leagh handing off TONNAGE of precious metal to Heavy Metal Kenny. There is no Photog ID for this.

            Out of modesty I am not including the one with me standing beside (and above) Dolly as I’m told it ‘appears’ I’m looking down her dress, but in my defense, I can’t help it if I’m tall, that’s Alan Jacksons fault!

            It might be remembered that Kenny once ventured into the fast food business with Kenny Rogers Fried Chicken, he having a better beard than his competitor and even scored an episode of Seinfeld as a topic for Kramer.

                                                The living end…………..Ray Ramsay

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