Musicians who share the name “Ken” are a dime a dozen. However, there are a select few who have made a significant impact on the music industry, and it is they who deserve special recognition. This list of ten is composed of musicians named Ken, and each of them is a phenomenal artist in their own right.
- Kenny Rogers – Born Kenneth Donald Rogers, this Country Music Hall of Famer has had a long and illustrious career. Rogers’ hits are too many to mention, however, some of his most well-known titles include “Islands in the Stream,” “But You Know I Love You” and “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town.” Kenny Rogers was also able to transcend musical genres by teaming up with a number of pop artists, such as Sheena Easton and Lionel Richie, to name but a few.
- Kenny Loggins – Although Kenny Loggins is a singer in his own right, he is best remembered in the music industry for his song writing talent and, in particular, for contributions to movie soundtracks. Fans of the movie Footloose can thank Loggins for the title track, as can fans of the high octane track “Danger Zone” from Top Gun.
- Ken Ring – This somewhat controversial rapper hails from Sweden and is known for being the ultimate underground rapper, due to his reputation of being untouchable by record labels. Despite the controversy that has plagued his career, Ring has managed to establish an international presence in the genre through self-released albums on the Internet. However, Ken Ring’s story doesn’t end there; the rapper has plans to “take over” the rap scene in Kenya, the country from which he is a descendant.
- Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds – He may be the artist dubbed “Babyface” due to his youthful looks when he was a teen, but Kenneth Edmonds is far from wet behind the ears. As a singer, songwriter and producer, Babyface Edmonds is a ten-time Grammy winner. Edmonds has collaborated with another noted musician and producer, L.A. Reid, on a number of record labels including LaFace Records, which listed TLC, Usher and Toni Braxton among its early artists.
- Reginald Kenneth Dwight – You may not immediately recognize the name, but that’s because this artist is better known as Sir Elton John. The singer took on the name “Elton John” around 1967 as a nod to Bluesology saxophonist Elton Dean and Long John Baldry. John is noted for his long standing song writing partnership with Bernie Taupin, and the pair has produced over 50 top 40 hits together. His greatest success, as a musician, is generally regarded as the rewritten version of his classic “Candle in the Wind” for the funeral of Princess Diana of Wales.
- Ken Nelson – Success was a long time coming for this great British producer. However, after many years working in obscurity, Ken Nelson suddenly had a string of hits under his belt, including work on the first Coldplay recording, collaborations with Ray LaMontagne, Snow Patrol and Paolo Nutini. Add three Grammys, two Mercury music awards and a whole host of other accolades to that list, and Ken Nelson earns his place as a phenomenal musician.
- Kenny Chesney – A country artist who routinely sells out concerts, Kenny Chesney is the recipient of numerous awards from institutes, including the Country Music Association, American Music Awards and Country Music Television. Chesney has a unique style, which makes him a fan favorite who transcends generations.
- Kenneth “K.K.” Downing – As a founding member of British rock group Judas Priest, Kenneth “K.K.” Downing is one of the most influential guitarists and songwriters of the genre. Downing retired from Judas Priest in 2011, however, he will forever be remembered for his dedication to advanced guitar technique and style. Kenny favored a number of guitars throughout his career, including the Gibson flying V, Fender Stratocaster and the Ovation Elite series acoustic.
- Ken Weaver – There are few musicians who can match Ken Weaver’s whirlwind through the music industry. Ken formed the punk band The Fugs in 1964 with Ed Sanders and Tuli Kupferberg. In great punk tradition, The Fugs vocally-driven music did much to disguise the fact that the band members were far from accomplished technical musicians. That didn’t stop them becoming underground legends, though.
- Ken Lewis – Lewis is one of the most acclaimed singer, songwriter and producers to come out of the 60s and 70s. He had success writing for Herman’s Hermits on the track “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat,” before going on to record a number of hits with The Ivy League.