michael mcdonald kenny loggins tour

Today's news
Reviews and deals
Climate change
2024 election
Fall allergies
Health news
Mental health
Sexual health
Family health
So mini ways
Unapologetically
Buying guides

Entertainment

How to Watch
My watchlist
Stock market
Biden economy
Personal finance
Stocks: most active
Stocks: gainers
Stocks: losers
Trending tickers
World indices
US Treasury bonds
Top mutual funds
Highest open interest
Highest implied volatility
Currency converter
Basic materials
Communication services
Consumer cyclical
Consumer defensive
Financial services
Industrials
Real estate
Mutual funds
Credit cards
Balance transfer cards
Cash back cards
Rewards cards
Travel cards
Online checking
High-yield savings
Money market
Home equity loan
Personal loans
Student loans
Options pit
Fantasy football
Pro Pick 'Em
College Pick 'Em
Fantasy baseball
Fantasy hockey
Fantasy basketball
Download the app
Daily fantasy
Scores and schedules
GameChannel
World Baseball Classic
Premier League
CONCACAF League
Champions League
Motorsports
Horse racing
Newsletters

New on Yahoo

Privacy Dashboard

Interview: Kenny Loggins on final tour, being 'incredibly lucky' with 'Top Gun: Maverick'

Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

From having a hand in multiple '70s hits, to helping soundtrack some of the biggest movies of the '80s, to appearing on movie and television screens into the 2020s, Kenny Loggins' music has spanned generations.

And while his songs continue to endure — just look at this year's Super Bowl, or one of last year's biggest blockbuster films, for proof — the 75-year-old Loggins is ready to bring a close to his decades-long tenure of touring. This week marks the start of Loggins' "This is It" final tour, taking its title from his Grammy-winning 1979 hit single of the same name, kicking off Friday, March 10, at Sarasota's Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.

After performing as the pop-rock duo Loggins & Messina with Jim Messina in the early '70s, Loggins embarked on a successful solo career, earning the moniker "King of the Movie Soundtrack" thanks to songs of his including the Oscar-nominated title track from "Footloose," "I'm Alright" from "Caddyshack," and "Danger Zone" from "Top Gun," with the song also appearing in last year's hit sequel "Top Gun: Maverick." Loggins' tour starts the same weekend as this year's Oscars, where "Top Gun: Maverick" is nominated in six categories including Best Picture.

In a phone interview, Loggins discussed his final tour, "Top Gun: Maverick," Loggins & Messina's brief reunion last year, and working with Michael McDonald, with whom he co-penned "This is It" as well as the Song of the Year Grammy-winning "What a Fool Believes." Here are excerpts.

More fun this month: 100-plus things to do in March in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties

Fun in the sun: 10 best beaches and restaurants nearby in Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice area

Ticket Newsletter: Sign up to receive restaurant news and reviews plus info on things to do every Friday

The Sarasota show kicks off your “This Is It” final tour. What made you decide this was the right time to do a final tour?

I’ve been on the road since 1971 — not all the time, of course — and I just found the last couple of years to be, let’s just say, more difficult than I wanted them to be. The travel was just too exhausting. I figure there’ll be benefits; there’ll be special shows here and there. I’ll knock off things for causes that matter to me, like Earth Day and stuff like that. But right now, I just want to keep my voice in shape. I just had my 75th birthday, and I feel like it’s time.

The tour starts with two Florida shows. Do you have any favorite memories from visiting the state over the years?

Well, I’ve had some really fun shows in Florida. I can remember as far back as the first Loggins & Messina tour and spending time in Coconut Grove. I remember having way too much fun, and Florida, it’s got a lot of things in common with California — obviously, the weather, and beautiful girls. So as a young man college-aged, I was touring as a 21-year-old and playing to colleges that are all basically the same age. So it was like a big party for a few years there. That said, the great audiences for me are all over the place in Florida.

The tour also starts the same weekend as the Oscars, where “Top Gun: Maverick" is up for six awards including Best Picture. Unlike a lot of sequels where they'd have a new soundtrack, or maybe get another singer to cover the original song, they used your version of “Danger Zone” in the opening scene. How did that feel?

Tom Cruise, that was his brainchild, based on when he and I spoke for that. We’d never met before. I heard he was making the new “Maverick” and I said, “So tell me the truth: Is ‘Danger Zone’ in or out?” He said, “Are you kidding? It wouldn’t be ‘Top Gun’ without ‘Danger Zone.’” So that was his position, and he was true to his word right from that day on.

Originally, they were thinking that “Danger Zone” would show up as a piece in the middle of the movie, when Tom comes to the rescue. But instead, they decided to open with it to conjure up the original feelings: the people who are seeing this as their second “Top Gun” movie, to conjure up that excitement of the first one. I just consider myself incredibly fortunate, because what are the odds? We were thinking it might get re-recorded, and I’d actually tossed the idea out to the Foo Fighters, and he was kicking it around when I got the message that Tom’s going with the original. And how did it feel? Well, like I said, I just felt incredibly lucky.

At the Oscar nominees luncheon, no less than Steven Spielberg told Tom Cruise that “Top Gun: Maverick” might've saved the entire theatrical industry. As somebody who’s known for their work in movies, how does it feel to hear that and be a part of that film?

Yeah, it's just great to be part of it. I thought Tom did an incredible job making a great sequel, really putting everybody through their paces. He knows what he’s doing.

Another one of your most famous film songs, “I’m Alright” from “Caddyshack,” got a new spotlight recently when it appeared in the Super Bowl advertising for Michelob Ultra. Did you get a kick out of seeing that?

Absolutely — and a nice paycheck, too.

You’ve worked on many movies — “Caddyshack,” “Footloose” and “Top Gun” probably being the best-known ones — but also films like “One Fine Day,” where you performed the Oscar-nominated title track. Of all them, is there a particular song or movie that sticks out as your favorite experience?

I would probably say “Footloose,” because the screenplay was written by a friend of mine (Dean Pitchford), and we wrote the songs not even knowing how well the movie would come out. We didn’t see anything from the movie, we wrote from the screenplay. I think that’s what makes it so special for me, because we wrote imagining the scenes that we were writing for.

Last year, to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of Loggins & Messina playing the Hollywood Bowl supporting your debut album “Sittin’ In,” you played that same venue once again with Jim Messina. What was the experience like, and reaching that particular milestone?

It was really a little bit stressful because I was in both acts — I was in Loggins & Messina and they, we, opened for me, I closed the show with over an hour of my own stuff. So it was stressful getting back in shape for that much work, and not just in physical shape, but learning the songs again and playing again and all that. I think it was a fitting way to bring Loggins & Messina to a close.

Another person you’ve collaborated with multiple times is Michael McDonald, whether it's co-writing “What a Fool Believes” and “This Is It” or appearing together decades later on the track “Show You the Way” by Thundercat. What is the experience like working with him, and then appearing on that Thundercat song?

Michael and I hit it off right from the start, and I love working with him because when we do a double-bill, in the middle of the show we can do the songs we wrote together, including “What a Fool Believes.” It really makes for a fun show. It’s just great to have that friendship maintain, because that doesn’t always happen, believe me.

Then Thundercat, when he won his Grammy, they asked him what next and he said “I’d want to write with Kenny Loggins and Mike McDonald.” Well, I didn’t see it because I wasn’t watching, but my kids were, and my kids called me. My oldest and youngest, both called me and said, “Dad, you have to contact Thundercat, he wants to write with you.” So I went through management and caught up with him. He’s a cool guy, and a great musician.

Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at [email protected]. Support local journalism by subscribing .

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Kenny Loggins on Top Gun: Maverick, final tour before Sarasota show

NFL Power Rankings, draft edition: Did Patriots fix their offensive issues?

Which teams did the best in the NFL Draft?

Formula 1: Miami Grand Prix sends cease and desist letter to prevent Donald Trump fundraiser during race

Race organizers say they'll revoke a Trump fundraiser's suite license if he holds an event for the former president on Sunday at the race.

Does castor oil really help with hair growth? We asked the experts, and their answer may surprise you

It's inexpensive, but is it effective? Dermatologists' verdict is in — and it's unanimous.

NFL Draft: Packers fan upset with team's 1st pick, and Lions fans hilariously rubbed it in

Not everyone was thrilled with their team's draft on Thursday night.

NFL Draft grades for all 32 teams | Zero Blitz

Jason Fitz and Frank Schwab join forces to recap the draft in the best way they know how: letter grades! Fitz and Frank discuss all 32 teams division by division as they give a snapshot of how fans should be feeling heading into the 2024 season. The duo have key debates on the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and more.

The best RBs for 2024 fantasy football according to our experts

The Yahoo Fantasy football analysts reveal their first running back rankings for the 2024 season.

CVS stock plunges after earnings numbers one analyst 'did not even believe'

CVS warns it could cede Medicare Advantage market share as reimbursement rates pressure the company.

New details emerge in alleged gambling ring behind Shohei Ohtani-Ippei Mizuhara scandal

It turns out the money was going from Ohtani's bank account to an illegal bookie to ... casinos.

Canelo Álvarez and Oscar De La Hoya erupt in heated exchange ahead of title bout with Jaime Munguía

Canelo Álvarez is set to defend his title against undefeated Jaime Munguía on Saturday in Las Vegas.

NBA playoffs: Luka Dončić leads Mavericks in blowout win over Clippers to take 3-2 series lead

Luka Dončić singlehandedly outscored Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

10 cars with paint problems, according to Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports shares the ten vehicles most prone to paint problems, and they span quite an array of models.

MLB Power Rankings: Braves move into the top spot followed by Dodgers, Phillies as injuries take a toll across the league

From the Braves to the Marlins, here's where all 30 teams stand after the season's first month.

Ex-Florida State QB and 1999 Fiesta Bowl starter Marcus Outzen dies at 46

The Seminoles lost 23-16 to Tennessee in the first-ever BCS title game.

Wide receiver rankings for 2024 fantasy football

The Yahoo Fantasy football analysts reveal their first wide receiver rankings for the 2024 season.

2024 NFL Draft grades for all 32 teams

While the Falcons baffled everyone, the defending champion Chiefs looked like champs again.

The expanded 12-team College Football Playoff is here — and it already has problems

There is cause for excitement around the new playoff format. There's also lots of complaints and criticism to go around.

MLB odds: Elly De La Cruz on pace for historic season, and his MVP odds are dropping

Elly De La Cruz was a thrill ride in April.

Columbus Crew, MLS' gold standard, does what Messi and Miami couldn't in Mexico

The Columbus Crew went to Mexico and flattened Monterrey to reach the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.

U.S. Congress asks F1 for formal explanation after rejecting Michael Andretti's bid to own a team

F1 rejected Michael Andretti's bid to own a team until at least the 2028 season earlier this year.

Breaking News

Q&A: Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins on their long history as soulful yacht rock bros

Show more sharing options
Copy Link URL Copied!

Kenny Loggins has been thinking lately about “Danger Zone” — specifically whom he might ask to help remake his classic 1980s rock song for the “Top Gun” sequel currently in production.

“I’d love to do it with the Foo Fighters,” said the veteran singer and songwriter. “And Needtobreathe is great. Or there’s a band out there called Greta Van something or other …”

Greta Van Fleet?

“Yeah!” he replied. “That guy has a Zeppelin thing going that’s pretty interesting.”

Before he nails down the “Danger Zone” duet, Loggins will team with a more familiar partner, Michael McDonald, for a pair of concerts at the Hollywood Bowl.

The shows on Friday and Saturday are set to look back even further than “Top Gun,” to the late ’70s and early ’80s, when Loggins and McDonald were among the smooth and soulful bros creating what’s now called yacht rock. (Christopher Cross, of “ Sailing ” fame, is also on the bill.)

The two, known for co-writing hits like “What a Fool Believes” and “ This Is It ,” still perform together regularly. And last year they joined Thundercat, the L.A.-based jazz-funk bassist, for a shimmering cut on his acclaimed “Drunk” album.

But this weekend’s gig, with accompaniment by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, should be something special, McDonald promised in a joint phone call with Loggins the other day.

“We’re gonna try to give the audience as much collaboration as we can,” he said.

You’d both established yourselves separately — Michael with the Doobie Brothers and Kenny with Loggins & Messina — before you began working together. How did your careers intertwine?

Kenny Loggins: I like to say that Mike and I were writing together before we met. I drove over to his house in — Sherman Oaks, was it?

Michael McDonald: Studio City. Kenny had reached out to me through Tiran Porter from the Doobies, and we’d made a point to get together.

Loggins: I was unpacking my guitar and the door to his house was open, and I heard him singing ideas around “What a Fool Believes.” He had that verse melody; it was pretty solid. Then he stopped where he had no more ideas, and my imagination kept going and I heard the B section in my head. So I knocked on the door and we shake hands and I go, “I think I know the next part of that song.”

Are you in the habit of popping into places and offering your advice?

Loggins: If you’re a fledgling songwriter, just leave your door open and I’ll be right over.

What had you heard in Michael’s singing or writing that made you want to work with him?

Loggins: Oh, that was [the Doobie Brothers’] “ Livin’ on the Fault Line .” To me that song made it immediately recognizable that this guy’s gonna be a major force. Same way I felt the first time I heard [Steve] Winwood’s voice with Traffic. I don’t mean to embarrass you, Michael. But I just instantly related to what he was doing, and I wanted to be a part of it.

McDonald: And when I heard Kenny’s first solo record — although I’d been a fan of Loggins & Messina — that was the moment that in my mind put him in a different place as a musician, writer, producer, arranger.

That record spun off “Celebrate Me Home,” which has become one of Kenny’s signature songs.

Loggins: It was a huge departure for me musically. I started off as a folkie guy with an acoustic guitar, and I was hearing all these changes in my head. I had no idea what they were, how to do them. So I had to bring in all these great players. Bob James was my primary arranger and keyboard player — how lucky is that?

James was known as a jazz guy.

Loggins: This whole thing they’re calling yacht rock was where jazz and smooth jazz were merging with pop. And there were a lot of artists that were plugging into it. Joni Mitchell, she did a record with [saxophonist] Tom Scott, then took a huge step to the left and did one with [bassist] Jaco [Pastorius] and cats like that. Paul Simon had the New York crew on his records. It felt like the next logical place.

But the two of you turned yacht rock into something like a lifestyle.

Loggins: The night we wrote “What a Fool Believes,” I knew we had a big fish. I didn’t sleep at all.

You were pumped.

Loggins: Totally psyched.

McDonald: Me too.

Loggins: Not in a self-conscious way where we knew we were at the start of a movement or anything pretentious like that. We were just on fire with this new kind of music that was happening.

Did it ever strike you as a contradiction that you were making records with sophisticated music-nerd vibes at the same time that you were being perceived as these easygoing sex symbols?

Loggins: You go ahead, Mike, being the sex symbol of the duo.

McDonald: I don’t know that we were all that aware of that kind of promotional idea. Both of us in high school did what we did to get girls; we somehow figured out that worked. But I don’t think either one of us ever figured ourselves to be sex symbols.

Loggins: I had buckteeth and big ears and a short haircut. I was about as far from a sex symbol as any human could be. But I’m not sure about the premise of your question. When you say “nerdy,” it feels like you mean “intellectual” or “analytical,” and we’re never analytical with our music. It’s all about what feels right in the moment — what moved me? That’s the core of the piece. Like the opening line of “This Is It”: “There’ve been times in my life / I’ve been wondering why.” To me, you could open a book with that.

But surely you take pleasure in doing something in a more interesting way than it’s typically done? With more complicated chords or whatever?

McDonald: In the back of your mind you’ll think, “Oh, the band is gonna enjoy playing this progression.”

Loggins: When Mike and I write together, yeah, if we hit something we feel we’ve heard before, we’re purposely gonna move away from it — like, how else can we approach this?

You both live in Santa Barbara. Run into each other often?

McDonald: We’re both usually on the road. I don’t think we spend all that much time in town.

Do your kids hang out?

Loggins: Well, my kids don’t do drugs.

McDonald: And my kids don’t rob banks. I actually ran into Kenny’s daughter the other day at the ice cream place. Or at least I thought it was her. I didn’t say anything — I thought she’d think I was some creepy old dude.

Loggins: She probably already did.

Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins and Christopher Cross with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra

When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Where: Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave.

Tickets: $14-$195

Info: www.hollywoodbowl.com

Michael McDonald has outlived all your jokes about yacht rock

Steely Dan without Walter Becker? It’s not the travesty you might expect

Review: Phish’s Las Vegas Sphere spectacle was the opposite of rock-star self-glorification

April 22, 2024

Paul McCartney and Woody Harrelson and members of the Coral Reefer Band pay tribute to Jimmy Buffett at the Hollywood Bowl

Jimmy Buffett tribute: Dave Grohl, the Eagles, Paul McCartney and everything that happened at the Bowl

April 11, 2024

Mojo Nixon & The Toadliquors perform onstage on March 17, 2022 in Austin, Texas.

Mojo Nixon, cult hero and roots rock renegade, dies at 66

Feb. 8, 2024

The biggest entertainment stories

Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Mikael Wood is pop music critic for the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Ryan Gosling is Colt Seavers and Emily Blunt is Judy Moreno in 'The Fall Guy,' directed by David Leitch

Review: In ‘The Fall Guy’ with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, what’s a stuntman to do? Shake it off

A Japanese director poses for the camera.

How do you follow up ‘Drive My Car’? Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi finds a new lane

Tiffany Haddish at her home in South Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.

Entertainment & Arts

Tiffany Haddish just can’t quit. Even when she knows she should

May 2, 2024

Tomoaki Hamatsu, also known as Nasubi, in "The Contestant"

‘The Contestant’ tells the bizarre story of a Japanese man who lived a real-life ‘Truman Show’

Slide title

Recent News

The Doobie Brothers are honored to be inducted into the Recording Academy / GRAMMYs's Hall Of Fame for our recording of “What A Fool Believes”

Michael McDonald interview with Rick Beato

Early copies of my upcoming memoir, WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES, have arrived!

Michael McDonald will be performing at Mavis Staples 85th All-Star Birthday Concert

The Doobie Brothers have announced The 2024 Tour!

WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES: A MEMOIR BY MICHAEL MCDONALD WITH PAUL REISER OUT MAY 21 FROM DEY STREET BOOKS

"TEARS TO COME" OUT NOW

"Tears To Come" is out now!

Michael wrote this song with the talen ted John Barry, and is excited for everyone to hear it.

The Doobie Brothers Inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame.

See the show on hbo & hbomax.

"Takin’ It to the Streets"

GET THE SINGLE HERE

"What the World Needs Now"

DOWNLOAD HERE

"What's Goin' On"

Michael McDonald’s new studio album Wide Open, is AVAILABLE NOW !

Featured Song - Half Truth

Featured Song Half Truth

Site design by: bvc web design

classic rock
The Doobie Brothers

The Meaning Behind “What a Fool Believes” by The Doobie Brothers and How It Transformed Michael McDonald’s Career

by Jim Beviglia April 3, 2024, 10:45 am

“What a Fool Believes” represented a major departure from The Doobie Brothers ‘ boogie-rocking style. Ironically, it became the track for which the group is most known. It even pulled off a rare double-dip by hitting No. 1 on the Billboard charts and winning Grammy Song and Record of the Year honors.

Videos by American Songwriter

What is the song about? How did it team up two great songwriters and artists? And how did it help turn Michael McDonald from famous guest vocalist to the guy whose name was on the marquee? Let’s take a closer at the phenomenon that is “What a Fool Believes.”

Different Doobies

The Doobie Brothers managed to adjust their sound based on their personnel, and maintain their success through those changes, as well as any band of their era. Their lineup changed often, but none of those changes affected the band quite like when McDonald took over as lead vocalist. Known to that point as a session vocalist and keyboardist, he immediately delivered as a songwriter with the band on songs like “Takin’ It to the Streets” and “It Keeps You Running,” both hits from 1976.

In 1978, the band set about recording the album Minute by Minute , and McDonald had become the band’s chief artistic force, co-writing and singing lead on more than half the album’s songs. During the writing process, he had been messing around with a piano piece that he wasn’t sure had any potential. Producer Ted Templeman liked what he heard, and encouraged McDonald to work on the lyrics with a co-writer.

At that time, Kenny Loggins had already embarked on a solo career after his successful partnership with Jim Messina had dissolved. When he came together with McDonald, the two really had only just begun to get to know each other. But they were about to co-write a track that would change both their lives.

Finding the Feel for “Fool”

McDonald told The Guardian what happened next:

“Kenny Loggins and I had been chatting about getting together to write some songs. He came over to my house in LA just as I was playing what I had for ‘What a Fool Believes.’ He said: ‘You were just playing something at the piano. Is that new? That’s what I want to work on first.’ He had already come up with the song’s hook line— She had a place in his life —before he’d got through the door.”

Once the writing was finished, the recording proved to be a bear for The Doobie Brothers. Templeman helped to lock down the rhythmic feel for the song by playing a second set of drums alongside the Doobies’ Keith Knudsen. Even then, the band didn’t have a complete take they loved. Templeman made the risky decision to cut and paste from the tapes that they had of the song, which could have meant lost progress if he made a mistake. But he eventually assembled the version that would be a hit.

Incidentally, Loggins released his own version of the song on his 1978 album Nightwatch , which came out a few months before the Doobies’ version. Loggins took a jazzier, slightly more experimental approach on his take.

What is “What a Fool Believes” About?

“What a Fool Believes” delivers a profound look at the lies we sometimes tell ourselves about our former romances. The protagonist of the song runs into an old flame, and believes not only did he make a major impact on her life the first time around, but he can rekindle that spark. But he barely registers in the woman’s memory ( He never made her think twice ) and certainly doesn’t sway her this time either ( He’s watching her go ).

Along the way, the lyrics of McDonald and Loggins candidly capture the flop sweat of this meeting: She musters a smile for his nostalgic tale / Never coming near what he wanted to say . Yet even for all the evidence presented to him by her indifferent reaction, he still holds on to utterly futile hope: Someday, somewhere / She will return .

In the chorus, the lyrics deliver a clever twist on the old saying “You have to see it to believe it”: What a fool believes, he sees . This guy is likely to continue kidding himself all the way to lonely old age. In another irony surrounding “What a Fool Believes,” its success helped grease the wheels for McDonald’s departure from The Doobie Brothers; he would last just one more album before diving headlong into his solo career. But, with the help of Loggins, he left behind this unforgettably wistful gem.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

Snoop Dogg Announces Canadian Tour in 2024

Kenny Loggins’ remarkable four-decade-plus career has brought him from the top of the charts to the toast of the Grammys. He’s had smash hits on Hollywood’s favorite soundtracks, rocked worldwide stages, and found his way into children’s hearts while bringing his soulful, beautiful voice to platinum albums of a stunning variety of genres. His gift for crafting deeply emotional music is unparalleled, and it’s been a part of his life as long as he can remember.

When Loggins was 7 years old, he watched his two older brothers struggle to write a song, “and I remember thinking, it just can’t be that hard,” he laughs. Around a year later, inspired by the film Yankee Doodle Dandy, he realized songwriting was his future. “It’s a moment that sticks with you,” he says, “I knew deep inside that this is something I could do.”

Once he started doing it, he never stopped.

Loggins, who was born in Everett, Washington, and moved to the Los Angeles area as a young child, began singing and playing guitar in high school, and scored a job as a songwriter for ABC/Wingate out of college for $100 a week after a brief, unlikely stint as a guitarist for psych-rock band the Electric Prunes. “I went in and sang a bunch of my songs I’d already written, and they signed me right there,” he recalls. One of the first tunes he offered up was the beloved “House at Pooh Corner,” which became one of several Loggins-penned hits the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recorded for 1970’s Uncle Charlie and His Dog Teddy. “I wrote it during finals as a senior in high school,” he says. “We were coming on graduation, and it reminded me of the last chapter of the book House at Pooh Corner, where Christopher Robin is about to head out and leave Pooh and the Hundred Acre Wood behind. Ironically, I guess I never did.”

Halfway through his three-year gig as a Wingate staffer, Loggins met the man who would help shape the early part of his career: Jim Messina. “I knew that Jimmy had worked with Buffalo Springfield and that was one of my favorite acts of the 60’s,” Loggins says of the producer and onetime Poco member. The two started to work on Loggins’ solo debut with Messina behind the glass, and Kenny fell in love with a track his producer had penned called “Peace of Mind.” Before he knew it, the pair of creative partners had morphed into a duo, and Loggins and Messina was born.

Their first album, Kenny Loggins With Jim Messina Sittin’ In, came out in 1971, featuring Loggins’ own version of “Pooh Corner” and the beautiful ballad “Danny’s Song,” which he’d written when his brother’s wife gave birth to the couple’s first child. “That was the beginning of his family,” Loggins remembers, “and many of those lyrics were taken right from a letter he wrote me.” The prolific recording and touring duo released a studio album every year from 1971 to 1976, wrapping with Native Sons. The time had come for Loggins to cast off on his own.

“When I recorded Celebrate Me Home, I was very excited, I was like an arrow pulled back in a bow. I’d waited 7 years to finally make my solo album,” Loggins says. His 1977 Phil Ramone-produced solo debut went platinum and included “I Believe in Love,” the song he’d written for Barbra Streisand to perform in the film A Star Is Born. The album came out just in time for Loggins to score a gig opening for Fleetwood Mac on the Rumours tour, and he went from playing large rooms to arenas overnight. He struck up a friendship with Stevie Nicks, who generously offered to sing one of his songs. Loggins wrote the perfect tune with his friend, Melissa Manchester – “Whenever I Call You Friend” from his 1978 LP Nightwatch – which he credits as “the moment that launched my solo career.”

The hits just kept on coming. Loggins pulled up for a songwriting session at Michael McDonald’s house and heard the opening melody of “What a Fool Believes” coming out of the door. “He stopped playing after 8 bars, but my imagination kept going. So I like to say we were writing together before we met.” The pair won a Best Song Grammy – Loggins’ first – for the tune in 1979. The following year, the pair picked up a second Grammy for “This Is It,” off Loggins’ third consecutive platinum solo album, Keep the Fire. As the decade progressed, Loggins kept expanding his musical range, impressively exploring new textures of jazz, rock, and pop with ambitious production.

In the 1980s, Loggins also earned a new title: king of the movie soundtrack. Film producer Jon Peters called him in to see a rough cut of Caddyshack, and Loggins provided the cult classic’s smash “I’m Alright.” When a pal asked Loggins to write a few songs for an as-yet-unmade picture called Footloose, he whipped up a No. 1 blockbuster: “I had a little up-tempo thing I’d been messing with that I probably wouldn’t have written if it hadn’t have been for the movie,” Loggins says. He scored a track on Tom Cruise’s Top Gun (“Playing With the Boys”) and performed that movie’s indelible hit “Danger Zone.”

While Loggins continued to record albums that were deeply personal and introspective (from 1985’s Vox Humana to 1988’s Back to Avalon), he also began looking outward, contributing to 1985’s landmark charity single “We Are the World.” “I was fortunate that Michael Jackson and I had become friends, so he invited me to join in,” Loggins says. “It was a long night, but there was this very rare sense of community in the room. We all knew what we were there to do.”

Several years later, Loggins – a deeply committed environmentalist with a long history of advocating for the planet and green parenting – wrote a passionate plea for change called “Conviction of the Heart” that appeared on his 1991 album Leap of Faith. The song was so powerful, it caught the ear of Al Gore, who later called it the “unofficial anthem of the environmental movement.”

After a stunning run of solo albums, a Christmas album, and two LPs for children (Return to Pooh Corner and More Songs From Pooh Corner), Loggins reunited with his former partner Jim Messina for the Sittin’ In Again Tour in 2005 (the duo toured again in 2009). Playing live has always been – and remains – a key part of Loggins’ life. “It’s an experience I don’t have anywhere else. It is time-travel,” he explains. “I make a connection with the audience that is special to me and unique in my life.”

In 2010, Loggins formed the country trio, Blue Sky Riders, which features Nashville powerhouse Gary Burr and gifted vocalist and singer/songwriter Georgia Middleman. “I figured the most logical place to write a heartbreak album was Nashville, so I took my journals there,” Loggins says. “When Gary and I sang together, we sounded like brothers. The last time I experienced that kind of blend was with Jimmy Messina in 1971.” They had such a great time writing and recording, Loggins proposed they start a band. “Then we laughed about it and went about our way.” But after a few months Loggins called him back and suggested they find a female voice to form a trio.

The group released its debut album, Finally Home, on its own record label, 3Dream Records, in January 2013. Their second album, Why Not, was recorded in 2015. If you’re lucky, you’ll stumble onto Kenny, Gary and Georgia sittin’ in somewhere, like the Bluebird in Nashville.

In 2016, he was a recipient of the ASCAP Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award at the annual Chapin Awards hosted by WhyHunger. Later that year, The Guild of Music Supervisors honored the legendary singer, songwriter and guitarist with the organization’s first-ever Icon Award for his outstanding achievements in film, television, and soundtracks. Kenny was also honored with a Humanitarian of the Year Award from Little Kids Rock for his extensive commitment to children’s causes in 2016.

In February 2021, Kenny released “The Great Adventure”, a brand-new single that is set to be used as the theme song for San Diego Zoo Kids television network. The closed-circuit television adventure channel features programs produced primarily for medical facilities that serve pediatric patients and their families. The channel debuted at Rady Children’s Hospital in 2013 and offers family friendly, animal-oriented stories that are both entertaining and educational, supporting Kenny’s core belief that “every child should experience the healing power of music.”

On June 12, 2021, Loggins released At The Movies – a Record Store Day exclusive vinyl that included some of his career-spanning soundtrack hits for the first time ever on one album, including “I’m Alright” ( Caddyshack ), “Footloose” ( Footloose ), “Danger Zone” ( Top Gun ), and many more.

His hit song “Danger Zone” was featured once again in Paramount’s Top Gun: Maverick, which opened in theaters worldwide on May 27, 2022. The film has become the biggest release of the year earning over $1.5B in box offices globally and saw “Danger Zone” earning over 1M streams per day across streaming services at its peak.

Though he’s got 12 platinum albums, a pair of Grammys, and hits on almost all the Billboard charts under his belt, Loggins is far from done. Having just released his latest children’s project, the book Footloose (Moondance Press, an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group USA, October 17, 2016), inspired by his 1985 Oscar® nominated and Grammy® Award-winning “Song of the Year,” he’s still looking forward to what’s next. “I feel very lucky that this is the way I make my living, and not a lot of people can say that,” Loggins says. “I’ve been lucky that I love what I do and I get to keep doing it.”

On June 14, 2022, Hachette Books published Still Alright , Loggins’ long-awaited memoir. In Still Alright , Loggins gives fans a candid and entertaining perspective on his life and career as one of the most noteworthy musicians of the 1970s and ’80s.

Got a Scoop?
Arts & Entertainment
Food & Drink
Real Estate
Indy Parenting
Cover Stories
Classifieds
Create Event

The First Major Line-Up Announcement Is Kenny Loggins for September’s One805LIVE! Event

Get News in Your Inbox

Please note this login is to submit events or press releases. Use this page here to login for your Independent subscription

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

Not a member? Sign up here.

Santa Barbara County
San Luis Obispo County
Ventura County
U.S. / World
Crime and Safety
What’s Right
News Channel 3 Investigates
Local Forecast
Interactive Radar
SkyCam Network
Full Election Results
Election Coverage
High School Sports
College Sports
More Sports
Friday Football Focus
News Channel 3-12 Livestream
Livestream Special Coverage
Morning News Guest Segments
Events Calendar
Entertainment
Health Connections
805 Professionals
Work For Us
805 Careers
Advertise with Us
Closed Captioning
Download Our Apps
EEO Public File Report
FCC Public File
How to find News Channel 12
Public File Help
Jobs and Internships
Meet the Team
Newsletters/Alerts
TV Listings

Kenny Loggins announced as headliner for One805LIVE! September concert event

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – One805 announced Kenny Loggins will be the headliner for the nonprofit's September fundraiser, the 2024 One805LIVE! concert event.

In an Instagram post , One805 wrote the following:

@one805sb is thrilled to announce the 2024 One805LIVE! concert supporting Santa Barbara’s First Responders. One of our hometown favorites, @thekennyloggins will have his first performance since last year’s final tour on September 20th, 2024! The benefit will once again be hosted by Academy Award winner Kevin Costner at his oceanside estate. Additional artists will soon be announced! Kenny Loggins has sold more than 25 million albums and has won two Grammy Awards. In addition to his string of successful recordings, both solo and as a member of the famed duo Loggins & Messina, Loggins was the first major rock star to dedicate himself to recording music for children and families. Kenny's remarkable career also garnered him the nickname of “The King of Soundtracks” for his work with Footloose, Top Gun and Caddyshack. Kenny has rocked stages worldwide, and now he has generously agreed to support Santa Barbara’s First Responders by performing at One805LIVE! 2024. In recognition of his extraordinary and constant philanthropic work in Santa Barbara County, One805 has chosen to honor Kenny Loggins as a recipient of this years “Heart of the Community Award”. He will receive the award on-stage at the concert. Prior recipients have included Kevin Costner, and founding board member @alanparsonsmusic . We are also delighted to announce that the legendary Grammy Award winning @alanparsonsmusic O.B.E has again agreed to support our First Responders, both by performing and by serving as this year’s Music Director. Alan Parsons’ storied career includes his amazing success working with the Beatles at Abbey Road; engineering Dark Side Of The Moon for Pink Floyd; and founding The Alan Parsons Project. All tickets go on sale June 1st at One805.org. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements to come! As always, proceeds will support Santa Barbara County First Responders including mental health wellness and much needed equipment. Learn more about One805 and how you can support: www.one805.org

Jump to comments ↓

News Channel 3-12

Email the News Channel 3-12 Team

News Channel 3-12 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here .

No paywalls. No subscriptions. Noozhawk is free for everyone!

Sign up for Noozhawk's FREE daily newsletters!

For the latest news in Santa Barbara County — delivered right to your inbox .

A.M. Report Sent daily at 4:15 a.m.
P.M. Report Sent daily at 4:15 p.m.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The freshest news in Santa Barbara County

Arts & Entertainment

Local kenny loggins will be a headliner at 2024 one805live.

Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
Click to print (Opens in new window)
Click to share on X (Opens in new window)

Loggins’ career also garnered him the nickname of “The King of Soundtracks” for his work with “Footloose,” “Top Gun,” and “Caddyshack.” Loggins has agreed to support Santa Barbara’s First Responders by performing at One805LIVE! 2024.

... in his own words and in words of those, who knew him

Concert in Moscow 1993

Samvel Gasparov , a movie director, tells the story about MJ' show in Moscow in 1993:

'I heard about Michael Jackson for the first time back in the 70's. I even knew some of his songs, but I never was a fan. When I worked as a truck driver, I used to listen to Georgian music. Later, when I went to college, I grew to like Joe Dassin, Charles Aznavour, Tom Jones, and Engelbert Humperdinck. But I always knew about Jackson, and I knew that he was a good singer. In the early 90's my dream was to make a movie called "Run brother, run". American filmmakers expressed some interest in the script, and in 1992 I went to Romania where we rented a foundation. As it happened, Michael Jackson was giving a show in Bucharest at that time, and I was introduced to his producer Marcel Avram by one of our mutual friends. Marcel asked me to help them tape Michael's concert, and I did what I could. It was a pleasure. The performance left me stunned. Jackson impressed me very much – he was a genius, that's no question. I was personally introduced to him, and I remember shaking his cool pale hand. On the second day at dinner I told Avram about my wish to make a movie in the USA and my need for money. I already had an offer for five movies and lodging in the US by then. "I like you", Avram said. "If you want, we can bring Michael to Moscow. Then you can organize a show and make some money." I thought it would be cool, but I honestly didn't believe it was possible. But soon after that Avram sent his people to Moscow in order to check out Dessa, the company I headed at the time. It was one of the first Russian private companies created for the purpose of movie making, and I had some good folks on my team.

Suddenly the project came to life. Money was pushed to the background in my mind. I was full of enthusiasm, I wanted to bring that joyful event to people – after all, it was the first time a big Star was going to visit Russia. Since the visit of Avram's delegation and till September 1993 we were busy with preparations. It was my first experience in show business, and I couldn't imagine that it would be that hard and unpredictable. I thought that all showbiz "sharks" would support me and help me with that project, but it turned out the other way round – they threw obstacles in my way and tried to prevent the show from happening. We felt that our efforts were not appreciated. We even got phone calls with threats. And we got attacked by the media: they wrote that I was the king of the liquor industry and the head of the Chechen mafia. They said I was organizing the show in order to sell vodka on the stadium. It was a nightmare! They also wrote garbage about Jackson – that he was a pedophile, and that I was going to bring not him, but his impersonator who would lip synch to his songs. But all this crap only turned us on. We decided that we would make the show happen no matter what.

On September 15, 1993 Michael postpones his flight out of Moscow, Russia, and instead goes to visit a hospital for mentally challenged children there, who rejoice at seeing him and fight for his attention. One of his aides says that the singer has asked for one of the children to be flown to America for care and treatment which Jackson will pay for. The singer holds a few children in his arms and on his lap, comforts and plays with them and wishes to entertain them: “I’d like to sing with them. We all know a song together”, he says, visibly emotional. He also visits children in a nearby orphanage, who will sing a song to him in Russian, turning him – the ultimate performer, into an attentive spectator.

Thoughts and ideas
On the plane
In Australia´s Hospital
David Smithee
Christmas Party For Orphans
The Day I Met My Hero
Restoration In Neverland
Once Upon A Time
Dinner With Michael
Daniele Parisi
Always Humble
Michael In Oman
Bela Farkas
Angelic Eyes
Driver Gokor
Uri Geller about MJ
In Search Of Neverland
In Ormond Street Hospital
Michael And Photography
Michael as a Farmer
David Pack about MJ
Dance and Weddings
Donna Ashlock
Flight Over Brazilia
One Day at Liseberg
MJ & the Walters Family
Craig & Michael Flemings
Michael and the Dentist
Magical Michael
Tim´s Dinner with Michael
Tabitha Messick meets MJ
Michael and Mrs. Ma Family
Sam Parity remembers MJ
Stories from "The Wiz"
Peacemaker at 30,000 feet
Michael Jackson In India
Nisha Kataria
Two Michael Jacksons
MJ in Netherlands
David Sonnet
Michael saved his sister´s husband from suicide
Cascio Family
MJ and Kim Jong Il
Little Michael as a Babysitter
A Major Moment
Michael and China Airlines
Bob Giraldi on directing "Beat It"
You felt like God was within him
Prasadam dinners
MJ lifts a child with brain tumor
Concert in Moscow
Celine´s Art
Remembering Michael
My Brush With Badness
An Evening With Michael
South Africa´s Children Hospital
Michael the Driver
Journey of Wolf Family
Amanda Porter
Polish Girl Marielle
The Effect of a Song
MJ Dances at Bar Mitzvah
Bucharest´s Orphanage
Mediation of rappers
Two Days With Michael
Aboriginal College
Homeless people
Gessica´s meeting with MJ
Mutual support
Healing Tape
Three Young Orphans
Act of Thoughtfulness
More About Michael

Search site

True Michael Jackson

kiwi@truemichaeljackson.com

ManyFantasticColors

Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen – Midnight In Moscow (1962)

Ball was born in Ilford, Essex. At the age of 14 he left school to work as a clerk in an advertising agency, but also started taking trumpet lessons. He began his career as a semi-professional sideman in bands, whilst also working as a salesman and for the advertising agency. He turned professional in 1953 and played the trumpet in bands led by Sid Phillips, Charlie Galbraith, Eric Delaney and Terry Lightfoot before forming his own trad jazz band – Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen – in 1958. His dixieland band was at the forefront of the early 1960s UK jazz revival.

In 1961 their recording of Cole Porter’s “Samantha” (Pye 7NJ.2040 – released Feb. 1961) became a hit, and at the end of 1961 they reached No. 2 on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and the UK Singles Chart, with “Midnight in Moscow” (Pye 7NJ.2049 – released Nov. 1961). The record sold over one million copies, earning gold disc status.[4] Their next single “March of the Siamese Children” (Pye 7NJ.2051 – released Feb. 1962), from ‘The King and I’, topped the pop music magazine, New Musical Express chart on 9 March 1962, further hits followed and such was their popularity in the UK that Ball was featured, alongside Cliff Richard, Brenda Lee, Joe Brown, Craig Douglas and Frank Ifield, on the cover of the New Musical Express in July 1962, although in the U.S. they remained a ‘one-hit wonder’.

In 1968 the band appeared with Louis Armstrong during his last European tour. Ball later appeared on BBC Television’s highly rated review of the ’60s music scene Pop Go The Sixties, performing “Midnight In Moscow” with his Jazzmen on the show broadcast on BBC 1, on 1 January 1970, and his continued success was aided by guest appearances on every edition of the first six series of the BBC’s Morecambe and Wise Show. He later claimed that the peak of his career was when Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen played at the reception for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

Ball and his band enjoyed one of the longest unbroken spells of success for trad bands, and his status rivals contemporaries Acker Bilk and Chris Barber. Their joint album, The Best of Ball, Barber and Bilk, reached No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart. He has charted fourteen Top 50 hit singles in the UK alone. All such releases were issued on the Pye record label.

In 2001 Ball was part of the recording of an album on the Decca label. It featured Don Lusher, Acker Bilk, John Chilton and the Feetwarmers, John Dankworth, Humphrey Lyttelton and George Melly, and was entitled British Jazz Legends Together.

Ball continued to tour until shortly before his death, his last scheduled concert being, aptly, with Acker Bilk and Chris Barber at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall on 21 February 2013. He died at Basildon Hospital, Essex, where he was being treated for pneumonia.

Today the band continue with Kenny’s son at the helm and under the guise of Kenny Ball Junior and his Jazzmen. (by wikipedia)

Kenny Ball’s surprise hit of “Midnight in Moscow” in 1962 helped accelerate the trad jazz movement in England. Already a popular trumpeter, Ball’s hit briefly made him an internationally known figure. This LP mostly has infectious versions of Dixieland standards featuring Ball, trombonist Johnny Bennett and clarinetist Dave Jones. (by Scott Yanow)

A masterpiece of Britsh Jazz in the early 60´s !

Personnel: Kenny Ball (trumpet, vocals) Johnny Bennett (trombone) Ron Bowden (drums) Dave Jones (clarinet) Paddy Lightfoot (banjo) Vic Pitts (bass) Ron Weatherburn (piano)