Kenny O'Dell
| Kenny O'Dell | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Kenneth Gist, Jr.[1] |
| Born | 1946 |
| Origin | Oklahoma |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1962–1979 |
| Labels | Vegas, Capricorn |
Kenny O'Dell (born Kenneth Gist Jr., 1946 in Oklahoma) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Early in his career, he worked with guitarist Duane Eddy, and his own band, Guys and Dolls. He is best known for writing the country hit "Behind Closed Doors", which Charlie Rich recorded, and "Mama He's Crazy" for The Judds. "Behind Closed Doors" won a Grammy Award in 1973 for Best Country & Western Recording. O'Dell also wrote pop and soft rock songs, including Next Plane to London which was a Top 20 hit in 1967 for Rose Garden. O'Dell is credited as "Kenny Gist, Jr" on the record label.
Rich also had a top 10 hit in 1972 with the O'Dell-penned song "I Take It On Home". O'Dell was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. His only Billboard Top 40 appearance came in 1967 when "Beautiful People" climbed to number 38, and his only other Billboard Top 100 appearance came in 1968 with the local hit "Springfield Plane". O'Dell also had a top 10 country hit on his own with "Let's Shake Hands and Come Out Lovin'" in 1978.[1]
When O'Dell first moved to Nashville, he ran Bobby Goldsboro's publishing company. He has had other hit covers including "Trouble in Paradise" by Loretta Lynn in 1974.
His 1973 b-side "Homecoming Queen" is still frequently misidentified as an unreleased song called "Penny O'Dell" from Paul McCartney and Wings, this being the result of a bootleg album from the latter 1970s erroneously making this claim.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Beautiful People | Vegas |
| 1974 | Kenny O'Dell | Capricorn |
| 1978 | Let's Shake Hands and Come Out Lovin' |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US [2] |
CAN Country | |||
| 1962 | "Old Time Love" | — | — | — | single only |
| 1967 | "Beautiful People" | — | 38 | — | Beautiful People |
| 1968 | "Springfield Plane" | — | 94 | — | singles only |
| "Happy with You" | — | 118 | — | ||
| "Bless Your Little Heart" | — | — | — | ||
| 1970 | "If I Was a Rambler" | — | — | — | |
| 1971 | "Jubal" | — | — | — | |
| 1972 | "Why Don't We Go Somewhere and Love" | — | — | — | |
| "Lizzie and the Rainman" | — | — | — | ||
| 1973 | "Rock and Roll Man" | — | — | — | |
| 1974 | "You Bet Your Sweet, Sweet Love" | 58 | — | — | Kenny O'Dell |
| "I'll Find Another Way (To Say I Love You)" | — | — | — | ||
| 1975 | "Soulful Woman" | 18 | — | 36 | |
| "My Honky Tonk Ways" | 37 | 105 | — | singles only | |
| "I Can't Think When You're Doin'" | — | — | — | ||
| 1978 | "Let's Shake Hands and Come Out Lovin'" | 9 | — | — | Let's Shake Hands and Come Out Lovin' |
| "As Long as I Can Wake Up in Your Arms" | 12 | — | 14 | ||
| 1979 | "Medicine Woman" | 32 | — | — | single only |
Awards
1973—Grammy\Best Country Song\"Behind Closed Doors"
1973—CMA\Song of the Year\"Behind Closed Doors"
1973—CMA\Single of the Year\"Behind Closed Doors"
1973—ACM\Song of the Year\"Behind Closed Doors"
1973—ACM\Single of the Year\"Behind Closed Doors"
1984—Nashville Songwriters Association International\Songwriter of the Year
1984—NSAI\Song of the Year\"Mama He's Crazy"
1985—BMI\Country Song of the Year\"Mama He's Crazy"