Grace Kennedy (singer)

Last updated

Grace Kennedy
Born
Montego Bay, Jamaica [1]
Occupation(s)singer, television presenter, actress, entrepreneur
Known for- top UK and US charts hit songs
- TV entertainment show
(BAFTA award)
- Magnum, P.I. actress role
- luxury events designer
TelevisionGrace Kennedy Show

Grace Kennedy is a British, BAFTA award winning, television presenter and recording artist with UK and US charts hit songs.

Contents

Singer

Grace Kennedy first came into the public eye after winning the TV talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1977 [2] and then also featuring in a 1979 episode of Star Treatment. [3]

In the next years, she developed a successful musical career, with albums and singles released by DJM Records and BBC labels. [4] Many tracks were arrangements by Peter Knight and John Coleman. "Starting Again" reached number 34 on the US Dance Songs chart, and she featured on the charity single "The Wishing Well" which reached number 22 in the UK. [5] [6] [7]

Her interpretation of "'Love Is Serious Business" turned into a Northern soul alternative female version of the Alfie Davidson classic, [8] with a rare Canadian Rio Records release, as it was typical of many Northern soul records. [9]

In 2021-2022, her music albums were digitalized and released on the major download platforms. [10]

Discography

Television presenter and actress

In 1981, Grace Kennedy was signed by the BBC to present her own Saturday night primetime entertainment show, The Grace Kennedy Show, which ran for six series between 1981–1983 and won a BAFTA award. [11] Guests included Bruce Forsyth, [12] Al Jarreau, [13] The Pointer Sisters [14] and Derek Griffiths. [15]

She has appeared on other series, among them The Royal Variety Performance , [16] Live From Her Majesty's , [17] [18] String Sound, [19] Saturday Night is Gala Night, [20] Home on Sunday, [21] Lena Zavaroni and Music, [22] The Good Old Days , [23] Des O'Connor Tonight , [24] The Les Dawson Show , [25] The Rod and Emu Show . [26]

She was also a featured actor with Tom Selleck in a 2 part special of Magnum, P.I. [27]

Onstage, Kennedy starred in the 1992 West End Cotton Club musical revue, [28] the 1994 production of Carmen Jones (directed by actor Simon Callow) [29] and the 2005 production of Thoroughly Modern Millie alongside Lesley Joseph, Elaine C Smith and Donna Steele. [30]

Luxury events designer

Kennedy founded and is the managing director of Grace Kennedy Events, a luxury event planning business which organises high end luxury/celebrity parties. She transitioned into this field through the experience she acquired in organising her own concerts and stage events. After being approached by Toyota to sing and organise the production of six concerts to launch a new car in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, she continued by arranging further concerts and gala events for companies such as Renault, Tetra Pak, British Airways and Gillette. She then expanded her business by designing and organising luxury celebrity and society events. [31] In June 2011, she organised the wedding of Vincent and Carla Kompany. [32]

In 2014, she was invited to present several awards at The Luxury Lifestyle Awards ceremony. [33] [34]

In 2018, she launched The Luxurious Destination Collection as the signature brand of Grace Kennedy Events. The collection is a partnership with a network of luxury destinations in the world handpicked by Grace, like Blenheim Palace, the Mandarin Oriental, the Royal Mansour [35] and several discreet private islands, where the clients enjoy exclusive personal and bespoke options. There are three categories of destinations, In the Country (palaces, stately homes in places like Britain, the French Riviera, Lake Como Italy, the Spanish mountains), In the City (in Morocco, Dubai, Europe etc.), By the Sea (such as some private islands in the Caribbean, Maldive). [36] [37] [38]

Personal life

Grace Kennedy has a daughter, Natalie (Winsor), from her first marriage, herself a successful actress. Her second marriage was to entertainment lawyer and entrepreneur Nigel Angel, in 1999. [39]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigourney Weaver</span> American actress and film producer (born 1949)

Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver is an American actress and film producer. She is known for her starring roles in science fiction and horror franchises, having amassed numerous screen and stage credits. She has received multiple accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award, as well as nominations for three Academy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. She appeared on Channel 4's list of "100 Greatest Movie Stars" in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penelope Keith</span> British actress (born 1940)

Dame Penelope Anne Constance Keith, is an English actress and presenter, active in film, radio, stage and television and primarily known for her roles in the British sitcoms The Good Life and To the Manor Born. She succeeded Lord Olivier as president of the Actors' Benevolent Fund after his death in 1989, and was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to the arts and to charity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siân Phillips</span> Welsh actress (born 1933)

Dame Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips, known professionally as Siân Phillips, is a Welsh actress. Her early career consisted primarily of stage roles, including the title roles in Ibsen's Hedda Gabler and George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan. In the 1960s, she started taking on more roles in television and film. She is particularly known for her performance as Livia in the 1976 BBC television series I, Claudius, for which she was awarded a BAFTA and a Royal Television Society award. She was nominated for a Tony Award and Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Marlene Dietrich in Marlene.

Millicent Mary Lillian Martin is an English actress, singer, and comedian. She was the lone female singer of topical songs on the weekly BBC Television satirical show That Was the Week That Was, and won a BAFTA TV Award in 1964. For her work on Broadway, she received Tony Award nominations for Side by Side by Sondheim (1977) and King of Hearts (1978), both for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Other television roles include her recurring role as Gertrude Moon in the NBC sitcom Frasier (2000–04) and Joan Margaret in Grace & Frankie (2017–2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lena Zavaroni</span> Scottish singer (1963–1999)

Lena Hilda Zavaroni was a Scottish singer and television show host. At age 10, with her album Ma! , she was the youngest person in history to have an album in the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart. Later she starred in her own television series, made numerous TV guest-star appearances, and appeared on stage. From the age of 13, Zavaroni suffered from anorexia nervosa and developed clinical depression when she was 15. Following an operation to cure her depression, Zavaroni died at the age of 35 from pneumonia on 1 October 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sally Ann Howes</span> British actress and singer (1930–2021)

Sally Ann Howes was an English actress and singer. Her career on screen, stage and television spanned six decades. She is best known for the role of Truly Scrumptious in the 1968 musical film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In 1963, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical for her performance in Brigadoon.

Sarah Mary Kennedy MBE is a British retired TV and radio broadcaster. She presented her daily early morning radio show, The Dawn Patrol, on BBC Radio 2 from 1993 to 2010.

Anne Wood, CBE is an English children's television producer, responsible for creating shows such as Teletubbies with Andrew Davenport. She is also the creator of Tots TV and Rosie and Jim. She was a recipient of the Eleanor Farjeon Award.

Hannah Campbell Grant Gordon is a Scottish actress and presenter who is known for her television work in the United Kingdom, including My Wife Next Door (1972), Upstairs, Downstairs (1974–75), Telford's Change (1979), Joint Account (1989–90) and an appearance in the final episode of One Foot in the Grave, broadcast in 2000. She has presented the Channel 4 lifestyle show Watercolour Challenge from 1998 to 2001 and played Ann Treves in David Lynch's 1980 film The Elephant Man. She is sometimes credited under her first married name of Hannah Warwick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oleg Cassini</span> Russian-American fashion designer (1913–2006)

Oleg Cassini was a fashion designer born to an aristocratic Russian family with maternal Italian ancestry. He came to the United States as a young man after starting as a designer in Rome, and quickly got work with Paramount Pictures. Cassini established his reputation by designing for films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Jones</span> Welsh actress, producer, and writer (born 1966)

Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the award-winning BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey. She later co-wrote and starred in the Sky One comedy-drama Stella (2012–2017), for which she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance and won the BAFTA Cymru Award for Best Screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia McKenzie</span> English actress, presenter, director, writer

Julia Kathleen Nancy McKenzie is an English actress, singer, presenter, and theatre director. She has premièred leading roles written by both Alan Ayckbourn and Stephen Sondheim. On television, she is known for her BAFTA Award nominated role as Hester Fields in the sitcom Fresh Fields (1984–1986) and its sequel French Fields (1989–1991), and as Miss Marple in Agatha Christie's Marple (2009–2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillian Lynne</span> English dancer, choreographer (1926–2018)

Dame Gillian Barbara Lynne was an English ballerina, dancer, choreographer, actress, and theatre-television director, noted for her theatre choreography associated with two of the longest-running shows in Broadway history, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. At age 87, she was made a DBE in the 2014 New Year Honours List.

<i>A Poke in the Eye (With a Sharp Stick)</i> UK comedy and charity fund-raising benefit and recording 1976

A Poke in the Eye (With a Sharp Stick) is the title of the first show in what later became the Secret Policeman's Ball series of benefit shows for human rights organization Amnesty International, although it pre-dated by three years the first show to bear that name. The film of the show was titled Pleasure at Her Majesty's which is sometimes mistakenly thought to be the title of the actual benefit show.

Bea Ballard is a British television executive producer. She is chief executive of 10 Star Entertainment, a production company set up in 2009 with investment from Fremantle. She is the daughter of novelist J. G. Ballard.

Beryl May Jessie Toye,, known professionally as Wendy Toye, was a British dancer, stage and film director and actress.

<i>Lena Zavaroni and Music</i> Television series featuring Lena Zavaroni

Lena Zavaroni and Music was a variety TV programme featuring singer Lena Zavaroni and her guests. Six episodes were aired by the BBC in the spring of 1979. The BBC also released an LP called Lena Zavaroni And Her Music, manufactured and distributed by CBS Records and copyrighted by Galaxy Records.

Paul Westwood is an English bass player, composer, educator and author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darren Kennedy</span> Irish television presenter

Darren Kennedy is an Irish television presenter, style & design expert and entrepreneur from Dublin, Ireland now based between New York & Los Angeles. He has hosted television shows on BBC, ITV and RTÉ. He is the creator and co-founder of men's grooming brand Kennedy & Co.

<i>One Voice</i> (Grace Kennedy album) 1981 studio album by Grace Kennedy

One Voice is the fourth album of the British singer Grace Kennedy. It was released in 1981, under the label BBC Records. Music from this album featured in the Saturday night prime time entertainment show, The Grace Kennedy Show, which ran for six series between 1981–1983 and won a BAFTA award.

References

  1. ↑ Who's Who in Popular Music – Sheila Tracy (1984)
  2. ↑ Barr, G. (2005, Apr 29). "Gracing musical theatre", [01B edition]. Evening Chronicle
  3. ↑ "Star Treatment - Grace Kennedy (15 January 1979)". IMDB.
  4. ↑ "Grace Kennedy". Discogs.
  5. ↑ "Grace's World". Grace Kennedy Events.
  6. ↑ "Grace Kennedy". Billboard. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  7. ↑ "Grace Kennedy - I'm Starting Again". Spanishcharts.com. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  8. ↑ "Alfie Davison". Discogs . Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  9. ↑ "Grace Kennedy – I'm Starting Again (Rio Records)". Discogs . Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  10. ↑ "Grace Kennedy (Digital)". Demon Music Group . Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  11. ↑ "Television Craft - Sound Supervisor in 1984". BAFTA. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  12. ↑ "Youtube – Grace Kennedy and Bruce Forsyth". YouTube .
  13. ↑ "Grace Kennedy Show". BBC. 15 February 1982.
  14. ↑ "Grace Kennedy Show". BBC. 8 February 1982.
  15. ↑ "Grace Kennedy Show". BBC. 16 February 1981.
  16. ↑ "Royal Variety Performance". BBC. 23 November 1980.
  17. ↑ "Live from Her Majesty's[18/03/84]". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018.
  18. ↑ "Live from Her Majesty's[06/10/85]". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018.
  19. ↑ "String Sound". BBC. 9 August 1981.
  20. ↑ "Saturday Night is Gala Night". BBC. 9 January 1982.
  21. ↑ "Home on Sunday". BBC. 15 July 1984.
  22. ↑ "Lena Zavaroni and Music". BBC. 30 May 1979.
  23. ↑ "The Good Old Days". BBC. 6 August 1980.
  24. ↑ "Des O'Connor Tonight". BBC. 1 December 1980.
  25. ↑ "The Les Dawson Show". BBC. 15 January 1983.
  26. ↑ "The Rod and Emu Show". BBC. 25 February 1984.
  27. ↑ "Magnum P.I. TV-Serie (1980-1988)". Synchron Kartei. 25 February 1984.
  28. ↑ "Grace Kennedy Broadway and Theatre Credits". BroadwayWorld.com.
  29. ↑ "Opera North present 'Carmen Jones', Birmingham Hippodrome". Birmingham Hippodrome Heritage.
  30. ↑ "Review: Thoroughly Modern Millie". BBC.
  31. ↑ "Grace Kennedy: From International Singer to Events Innovator". The Good Wedding Guide (April 2017). 6 September 2017.
  32. ↑ "Vincent & Carla Kompany's Fairy-tale Wedding". Grace Kennedy Events. 22 June 2011.
  33. ↑ "The Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2014". Grace Kennedy Events. 14 September 2014.
  34. ↑ "Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2015 ME to honour the best of luxury". Ame Info.
  35. ↑ "Luxury Royal Mansour Marrakesh". Royalmansour.com.
  36. ↑ "Grace Kennedy launches signature brand The Luxurious Destination Collection". The Luxe Cafe.
  37. ↑ "Luxurious Destination Collection" (PDF). Your Mayfair. April 2018.
  38. ↑ "The Luxurious Destination Collection". The Good Property Guide. September–October 2017.
  39. ↑ "Hello Magazine". Crazyaboutmagazines.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.