Kenny Loggins

Kenny Loggins has led multiple musical lives, sometimes simultaneously, and in the process he’s made his mark many times over. Born in Everett, WA, in 1948, he came of age in Southern California and began stirring up some psychedelic sounds in the late ’60s, first with Second Helping and then in a latter-day lineup of The Electric Prunes. He then played with the raw, greasy roots rockers Gator Creek and worked as a writer for hire, contributing several songs to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. But he really started to find his groove when he partnered with former Buffalo Springfield and Poco member Jim Messina in 1971 as Loggins & Messina. Their single “Your Mama Don’t Dance” became an enduring pop/rock classic, and Anne Murray had a pop/country crossover smash with their track “Danny’s Song.” By decade’s end, Loggins was a solo artist, scoring hits with a smooth, sleek yacht-rock vibe, such as “This Is It,” co-writing the Doobie Brothers Grammy winner “What a Fool Believes,” and duetting with Stevie Nicks on “Whenever I Call You ‘Friend.’” He then became known as a soundtrack sensation, combining his pop savvy with state-of-the-art production for the huge singles “I’m Alright” from Caddyshack, “Footloose” from the film of the same name, and “Danger Zone” from Top Gun. Loggins spent the ’90s turning out a long string of Adult Contemporary hits, and in the 2010s he flipped the script yet again by starting the country trio Blue Sky Riders. With all the paths Loggins’ career has led him down, he’s likely the only artist who can say he’s been covered by Blake Shelton and sampled by Daft Punk.