Ray Kenny

Ray Kenny Music Biography

1. Background.

Originally from Clara Co Offlay Rep of Ireland I discovered the Guitar by accident in my old home Attic when I was just 17 years old! I found an old battered Acoustic Guitar with two strings still attached! I placed it face up flat on my knees then plucked the strings together and eventhough it was completely out of tune I was already hooked so I went out and bought a complete set of new strings! When I immigrated to America in 1994 and saved enough dollars I bought my first electric Guitar (Peavey Squire) when I was 19 years old in a shop in Decatur Alabama. Self taught and didnt have a clue what I was doing I continued to play it flat on my knees until eventually I turned the Guitar correct side up and I started practicing many covers by ear from some of my favourite bands including U2, The Beatles and then Oasis came along!

As I proceeded to improve I noticed quite early on my subconscious mind was channelling music ideas regularly so I would plug the guitar into my brother Roberts hifi system especially when he was not around lol and press record and spend hours listening back to what I'd just done until I heard something worth chasing! In the summer of 1996 a song called "Going Home" and my first ever musical composition with a sweet guitar hook was born from such sessions. I still write like this today only now its an Iphone I use and I'm usually at work when it happens of all places so there I am usually running out of the lab down the corridor pretending I need the bathroom humming into my iphone to catch a piece of music!

1. Achievements. When I arrived in Scotland 2002 I formed my first band "The Meadows"and we go on to make the finals of the Emergenza battle of the bands competition 2003 at the Liquid rooms Edinburgh. 13 years would pass and a lot of open mics were attended around Edinburgh until I made it to the regional finals of OpenMic UK Airdrie in October 2016. Then a few months on in January 2017 I took my then band "Onzlo"all the way to the Soundwaves UK finals taking place on the Main stage at the Glasgow O2 ABC Main stage beating over 1000 bands to make it to the final 14. The Godfather of Rock himself radio DJ Tom Russell pointed out that eventhough my band didnt win on the night that they should all take notes from my performance as an entertainer which was flattering to say the least!

2. Up to date. Post music competitions I knew I had to do more and strike while the iron was hot so in 2017 I purchased a Tascam DP32 home studio recorder and put out some demos to radio stations including the James Heaney show at Camglen Radio 107.9fm where I performed live and to Patricia Hodgins at Dunoon community radio followed by many live performances on Facebook during the Covid19 lockdown. Then on the 16th of August 2020 at precisely 08:03am Duggie Kyle CEO from Smash Records Global who has worked with the likes of Beatles producer Sir George Martin and famous guitarist Manny Charlton from the Band Nazareth decided send me a message and I ask would I be interested in supporting his record label and my modest response was I'd be on it! He kindly asked me to send him a few demo songs and "Lets all be together" in particular really caught his attention and a few others and he explained there is mileage in my songs and that Ive been invited to the dance! A few days later I recieved a letter of intent from his label partner and CEO Jennifer Lawlor from Dublin Ireland who's Niece (April Lawlor) just signed a deal with a major label. Chris Adams also a CEO with Smash Records Global is a fantastic music producer and composer in his own right who is just putting the final touches to my first and official debut single of many to come through smash Records Global. Thank you for reading and stay safe. Ray Kenny