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This is a tribute site to the great man Bill Kenny. For more info about the original Ink Spots, go to http://inkspots.ca
The "voice" that led to the Ink Spots success 1936 to 1954
(Born 12th June 1914, Philadelphia PA - Died 23rd March 1978, Vancouver BC)
In early 1936, Bill Kenny replaced Jerry Daniels as lead tenor of the Ink Spots. Shortly thereafter, Moe Gale had the group sign a recording contract with Decca records. Thus, all of the Decca Ink Spots recordings feature Bill Kenny. Even so, many listeners would not recognize the early 1936-38 Decca records of the Ink Spots because the group continued to feature their swing/jump style tunes.
Unlike the other group members, Bill Kenny did not play an instrument (except for limited appearances with a cymbal or triangle) and his singing style focused on ballads. Fortunately for the Ink Spots, the group gradually added some ballads featuring Kenny's tenor voice to their repertoire. Ink Spots NBC radio shows from February and August of 1938 feature songs with the final Kenny tenor, Hoppy talking bass balad style that lead to their great success following the release of If I Didn't Care in 1939. There can be little question that the Ink Spots success was primarily dependant on Bill's joining the quartet even though Deek Watson and Hoppy Jones made important contributions as well.
