The Kennedys (band)
Encyclopedia
The Kennedys are an American folk-rock band, consisting of husband and wife Pete and Maura Kennedy. Their first album, River of Fallen Stars, was released under the name "Pete and Maura Kennedy"; they released all subsequent albums as "The Kennedys". They met in Austin, Texas
in 1992, when Pete Kennedy was playing in Nanci Griffith
's band, and for their first date, each drove 500 miles to meet at Buddy Holly
's grave in Lubbock, Texas
. Soon, Maura Boudreau joined Griffith's band as a harmony singer, and they began their career as a duo when they opened for her during her tour in Ireland
. They are influenced by the Byrds
and other 1960s rock and folk-rock artists. Their 1998 album Angel Fire featured many songs with literary references, such as "A Letter To Emily
" and "Just Like Henry David
".
When performing live Pete plays the acoustic guitar, electric sitar, and ukulele. Maura plays the acoustic guitar and the uke.
They have performed in clubs and theatres throughout the United States, a cruise, and at Bill Clinton
's first and second inaugurations.
Pete is from the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington DC. Maura grew up in Syracuse, New York. After many years living in the East Village in New York City in 2006 joined the many other folk musicians living in Northampton, Massachusetts. They then returned to the East Village in 2008.
In late 2006 http://www.smoe.org/lists/jangle-poets/v08.n083, Pete and Maura joined with Chris and Meredith Thompson to form The Strangelings
, a folk rock band prominently featuring Pete's electric sitar. Their first performance was on January 12, 2007. The music includes songs by both the Kennedys and the Thompsons in addition to traditional songs and covers. The current full lineup of The Strangelings
includes Pete, Maura, Chris Thompson, Eric Lee on fiddle
, Cheryl Prashker on percussion, and Ken Anderson and Rebecca Hall
, also known as Hungrytown.
As The Stringbusters
As The Snacks
Pete Kennedy without Maura
Maura Kennedy without Pete
As part of The Strangelings
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
in 1992, when Pete Kennedy was playing in Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
's band, and for their first date, each drove 500 miles to meet at Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
's grave in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. Soon, Maura Boudreau joined Griffith's band as a harmony singer, and they began their career as a duo when they opened for her during her tour in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. They are influenced by the Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
and other 1960s rock and folk-rock artists. Their 1998 album Angel Fire featured many songs with literary references, such as "A Letter To Emily
Emily Dickinson
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life...
" and "Just Like Henry David
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist...
".
When performing live Pete plays the acoustic guitar, electric sitar, and ukulele. Maura plays the acoustic guitar and the uke.
They have performed in clubs and theatres throughout the United States, a cruise, and at Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's first and second inaugurations.
Pete is from the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington DC. Maura grew up in Syracuse, New York. After many years living in the East Village in New York City in 2006 joined the many other folk musicians living in Northampton, Massachusetts. They then returned to the East Village in 2008.
In late 2006 http://www.smoe.org/lists/jangle-poets/v08.n083, Pete and Maura joined with Chris and Meredith Thompson to form The Strangelings
The Strangelings
The Strangelings resulted from the union of The Kennedys and Chris & Meredith Thompson. They perform a mixture of Kennedys and Thompsons songs along with traditional music and covers. All the songs of each set are performed as a suite with no breaks. In contrast to the naturalistic style of the...
, a folk rock band prominently featuring Pete's electric sitar. Their first performance was on January 12, 2007. The music includes songs by both the Kennedys and the Thompsons in addition to traditional songs and covers. The current full lineup of The Strangelings
The Strangelings
The Strangelings resulted from the union of The Kennedys and Chris & Meredith Thompson. They perform a mixture of Kennedys and Thompsons songs along with traditional music and covers. All the songs of each set are performed as a suite with no breaks. In contrast to the naturalistic style of the...
includes Pete, Maura, Chris Thompson, Eric Lee on fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, Cheryl Prashker on percussion, and Ken Anderson and Rebecca Hall
Rebecca Hall (musician)
Rebecca Ruth Hall is an American folk singer/songwriter. She graduated from Boston Latin School before moving to New York City in 1988, earning a B.A., summa cum laude, in English literature from the City College of the City University of New York...
, also known as Hungrytown.
Influences
- Richard Thompson - They have recorded covers of "Wall of Death" and "How Will I Ever Be Simple Again". "Anna and the Magic Gown" on Stand is written in the style of Thompson's old band, Fairport ConventionFairport ConventionFairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
- The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
- They include at least one Beatles song at most performances - Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
- They have recorded covers "Chimes of FreedomChimes of Freedom"Chimes of Freedom" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan , produced by Tom Wilson. It was written in early 1964 and was influenced by the symbolist poetry of Arthur Rimbaud. The song depicts the feelings and thoughts of the singer...
" and "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna FallA Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" is a song written by Bob Dylan in the summer of 1962. It was first recorded in Columbia Records' Studio A on 6 December 1962 for his second album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. The lyric structure is based on the question and answer form of the traditional ballad "Lord...
". They perform at the Bob Dylan Tribute Festival at the Warwick Valley Winery every year. - The ByrdsThe ByrdsThe Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
- When they started writing songs they aimed for a sound similar to The Byrd's "Eight Miles HighEight Miles High"Eight Miles High" is a song by the American rock band The Byrds, written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn, and David Crosby and first released as a single on March 14, 1966 . The single managed to reach the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the Top 30 of the UK Singles Chart...
". They cover it on Songs of the Open Road". - Dave CarterDave CarterDave Carter was an American folk singer-songwriter who described his style as "post-modern mythic American folk music." He was one half of the duo Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, who were heralded as the new "voice of modern folk music" in the months before Carter's unexpected death in July 2002...
- They often refer to him as the greatest songwriter of his generation. They cover "Happytown", "Gypsy Rose" and "When I Go"".
Discography
- River of Fallen Stars (1995)
- Life is Large (1996)
- Angel Fire (1998)
- Evolver (2000)
- Positively Live! (2001)
- Get It Right (2002)
- Stand (2003)
- Half a Million Miles (2005)
- Songs of the Open Road (2006)
- Better Dreams (2008)
As The Stringbusters
- Rhapsody in Uke (2007) - an album of Hawaiian/swing/jazz music played largely on ukuleleUkuleleThe ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
.
As The Snacks
- Meet the Snacks (2007) - An album of rock/pop for children
Pete Kennedy without Maura
- Guitarslinger`` (2008) - Pete Kennedy Solo
- Shearwater The art of the unplugged guitar (1992)- Pete Kennedy Solo
- Channel 3 (1992) - Pete Kennedy Band
- "Fingers On Fire (1978) - Pete Kennedy and Tom Principato
Maura Kennedy without Pete
- Parade of Echoes (2010)
As part of The Strangelings
The Strangelings
The Strangelings resulted from the union of The Kennedys and Chris & Meredith Thompson. They perform a mixture of Kennedys and Thompsons songs along with traditional music and covers. All the songs of each set are performed as a suite with no breaks. In contrast to the naturalistic style of the...
- The Nuah Suite (2007) DVD
- Season of the Witch (2007)
External links
- The Kennedys Official website
- The Kennedys Facebook page
- Maura Kennedy's solo page
- Pete Kennedy's solo page
- The Strangelings Official website
- The Strangelings MySpace page
- Feature story on The Kennedys at Country Standard Time
- Pete and Maura Kennedy perform and are interviewed by Darren DaVivo on WFUV. (6/14/06)
- The Kennedys and Red Molly perform live and are interviewed by John Platt on WFUV (11/1/07)