The Kendalls

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The Kendalls were a U.S. country music duo, which had a number of hits during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The duo consisted of Royce Kendall (born September 25, 1935 in St. Louis, Missouri; died May 22, 1998) and his daughter Jeannie Kendall (born October 30, 1954 in St. Louis, Missouri).

1 Career
2 Discography
3 Later Career
4 External links

[edit] Career

Formed in 1969, The Kendalls recorded an album for Stop Records, from which a single, a cover of John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane" (previously a hit for Peter, Paul & Mary) was released in 1970, which just narrowly missed the top fifty on the U.S. country charts. The duo signed with Dot Records in 1972, and released an album and two singles, "Two Divided By Love", a cover version of The Grass Roots' hit and "Everything I Own", a cover of the group Bread's hit, both minor hits for the duo. Eventually they parted with their record label, focusing on performing live for a number of years, before signing with the independent Ovation label in 1977. Their first single for the label, a cover of the Kitty Wells hit "Making Believe", charted only making the Top 80 (possibly due to competition from Emmylou Harris' cover of "Making Believe", which hit the U.S. country charts around the same time). However, it was their second single, a "cheating" song called "Heaven's Just a Sin Away", that proved to be their breakthrough. The song topped the country charts and was also a minor crossover pop hit, and won the 1978 Grammy for Best Country Vocal by a Duo or Group. Subsequent hits included "Just Like Real People", "It Don't Feel Like Sinnin' to Me", "Sweet Desire", "You'd Make an Angel Want to Cheat", and a cover of Dolly Parton's "Put it Off Until Tomorrow". (Jeannie Kendall's powerful soprano has often been compared to Parton's.) In 1981, after Ovation Records closed their doors, the duo signed with Mercury Records, and continued to have hits with the Top 10's "Teach Me To Cheat" and "If You're Waitin' On Me (You're Backin' Up)". More hits followed with "Movin' Train" and "Precious Love" which made the Top 20.

[edit] Discography

YEAR	SINGLE	US COUNTRY	US	ALBUM	LABEL
1970	Leavin' On A Jet Plane	52		Meet The Kendalls	Stop
1972	Two Divided By Love	53		Two Divided By Love	Dot
1972	Everything I Own	66		Two Divided By Love	Dot
1977	Makin' Believe	80		Let The Music Play / Heaven's Just A Sin Away	Ovation
1977	Heaven's Just A Sin Away	1	69	Let The Music Play / Heaven's Just A Sin Away	Ovation
1978	It Don't Feel Like Sinnin' To Me	2		Old Fashioned Love	Ovation
1978	Pittsburgh Stealers	6		Old Fashioned Love	Ovation
1978	Old Fashioned Love	1		Old Fashioned Love	Ovation
1978	Sweet Desire	1		Old Fashioned Love	Ovation
1979	I Had A Lovely Time	5		Just Like Real People	Ovation
1979	Just Like Real People	11		Just Like Real People	Ovation
1979	I Don't Do Like That No More	16		Just Like Real People	Ovation
1979	Never My Love	16		Just Like Real People	Ovation
1980	You'd Make An Angel Wanna Cheat	5		Heart Of The Matter	Ovation
1980	I'm Already Blue	5		Heart Of The Matter	Ovation
1980	Put It Off Until Tomorrow	9		Heart Of The Matter	Ovation
1981	Heart Of The Matter	26		Heart Of The Matter	Ovation
1981	Teach Me To Cheat	7		Lettin' You In	Mercury Records
1982	If You're Waitin' On Me (You're Backing Up)	10		Lettin' You In	Mercury
1983	Precious Love	19		Movin' Train	Mercury
1983	Movin' Train	20		Movin' Train	Mercury
1984	Thank God For The Radio	1		Thank God For The Radio	Mercury
1985	I'd Dance Every Dance With You	20		Two Heart Harmony	Mercury
1985	Four Wheel Drive	27		Two Heart Harmony	Mercury
1985	If You Break My Heart	26		Two Heart Harmony	Mercury
1986	Too Late	42		Fire At First Sight	MCA
1986	Fire At First Sight	60		Fire At First Sight	MCA
1986	Little Doll	46		Fire At First Sight	MCA
1987	Routine	54		Break The Routine	Step One
1987	Dancin' With Myself Tonight	51		Break The Routine	Step One
1987	Still Pickin' Up After You	62		Break The Routine	Step One
1988	Rhythm Of Romance	57		Break The Routine	Step One
1989	Blue, Blue Day	69		20 Favorites	Epic

[edit] Later Career

Their last top ten hit, "Thank God for the Radio", which came in 1984, was also their last number 1 country hit. Their last Top 20's would come in 1984 and 1985 with "My Baby's Gone" and "I'll Dance Every Dance With You" respectively. In 1986, they signed with MCA Records where they scored three mid-level hits that year. In 1987, they signed with Step One Records where they scored several minor hits. In 1989, they signed with Epic Records where their last chart single, "Blue, Blue Day" made the Top 70. They did continue to tour and perform and released several CDs up until Royce Kendall's death from a stroke he suffered in 1998. In the years since her father's death, Jeannie Kendall has released two solo albums, and she continues to perform.