Photo: Giulia Ciappa · CC BY 2.0 · credits
Tier 2 · legacy legend
Harrison Kennedy
Person · male · Canada · Hamilton · born 1942 · recording since 1972
musical artist
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Also known as Харрисон Кеннеди
Timeline
13 events▣ Album 11◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1
1940s
1970s
· Debut release
Debut release: Hypnotic Music
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
2000s
2010s
2020s
Biography
English biography479 words · 2 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1340034210
Biography
Harrison Kennedy (born March 9, 1942) is a Black Canadian electric blues, R&B, and soul blues, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for being the lead vocalist on the Chairmen of the Board song, "Chairman of the Board", but has had a varied solo career since the mid-1970s. He was awarded the 2016 "Blues Album of the Year" Juno Award for his release, This Is From Here
This is from hereSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Walkin’ or ridin’3:302Shake the hand4:193Falling down3:284Jimmy Lee3:435Can’t let go4:146Friday dream3:087You, me or us4:168Crocodile lies2:489I’ve got news for you3:4910Milk cow Blues2:4311I believe3:3612Judgment day1:35. It was Kennedy's sixth nomination for that Award. He is also a Blues Music Award, and multiple Maple Blues Award nominee.
Life and career
Harrison Kennedy was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. His family had roots in New Orleans and Tennessee,. Kennedy sang in the Stewart Memorial Church Choir as a boy, when childhood trips took him over the border to visit relations in Arkansas, Rogersville, Tennessee, and Detroit, Illinois, United States, and all these experiences expanded his love of music. in 1974
Kennedy relocated to Detroit and joined the Chairmen of the Board in 1970, a group started as part of the then newly created Holland–Dozier–Holland record labels, Invictus Records and Hot Wax Records. Kennedy played on the recording of Marvin Gaye's 1971 song, "What's Going On". Following a string of hit records with Chairmen of the Board, which included "Give Me Just a Little More Time", "(You've Got Me) Dangling on a String", and "Everything's Tuesday", Kennedy left in 1974 and set out on a solo career. Kennedy served as a corporal with the RHLI and later worked for Allied Chemical Corporation.
Over the years on a part-time basis he played a variety of musical genres including funk, soul, R&B, folk, rock, and gospel. Kennedy spent almost 30 years outside of the music industry, before returning as a blues singer and guitarist with 2003's Sweet Taste. In 2007, Kennedy signed a new recording contract with Electro-Fi Records and has since released a number of internationally acclaimed albums. In 2008, Kennedy was nominated for Best Blues Recording in Canada's Juno Awards. He separately achieved second place against 83 others in the solo/duo category at the 2011 International Blues Challenge. In 2013 he also overcame a spell of prostate cancer.
In 2013 he released Soulscape, on which he played a variety of instruments, which was followed by the Juno winning album, This Is From HereThis is from hereSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Walkin’ or ridin’3:302Shake the hand4:193Falling down3:284Jimmy Lee3:435Can’t let go4:146Friday dream3:087You, me or us4:168Crocodile lies2:489I’ve got news for you3:4910Milk cow Blues2:4311I believe3:3612Judgment day1:35. It featured Colin Linden on several tracks, from a total of six of which Kennedy wrote. The album has also won the Grand Prix du Disque for Blues award from the Académie Charles Cros in France, as the 2015 Blues Album of the Year. Harrison toured in late 2014 with Ruthie Foster, Eric Bibb and Jerome Michael Brown. He also appeared as a guest performer on Bibb's 2014 album, Blues People. He participated in 2018 with Jean-Jacques Milteau and Vincent Segal on the recording of Crossborder Blues, published by Naïve. In 2017, this group commenced a tour.
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 5 | 32th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 11 | 82.8th |
| Studio albums | 11 | 91.9th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 13 | 89.7th |
| Recording span (years) | 50 | 90.9th |
| Genres | 2 | 74th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (11 release groups · 11 studio albums)
Albums · 11
1972 · studio album
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Tracklist · 9 tracks · 38:02
A1Hypnotic Music5:20A2Closet Queen3:22A3Night Comes Day Goes6:43A4Sunday Morning People3:09B1Gimme a Glass of Water3:08B2Come Together3:51B3You Hurt Your Mother Again5:58B4Up-the Organisation3:15B5Children of Toda3:162004 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 47:53
1Sweet Taste3:182Direct Hit3:413Mungumbo Man3:414One Time Affair4:235You Left4:006Ain't That Enough5:127I Ain't No Puppy3:058I Can Feel You Leaving6:009I'm the Chairman3:0010Commercial Tools3:0711Silvie4:2112Bending Down Low4:052005 · studio album
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Tracklist · 14 tracks · 49:21
1Bad Luck and Trouble3:192What a Way to Go3:023Bad Attitude4:204One Track Mind3:05540 Acres and a Mule3:346Too Far to Fall3:377Bob Lo Island3:398There Ain't No Words3:379Recipe for Loving1:3710Hummin' Blues3:2611Going Down3:2512It's Hard5:2813Let Her Talk1:5114Make a Difference5:212007 · studio album
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Tracklist · 16 tracks · 52:08
1Let Me Call You3:582Everybody Gets the Blues2:403High Country Blues2:334The Jones'3:415Run-A-Round Blues4:186Love Serenade3:397Baby Boy2:378U Meant It3:409Rollin' Man Blues2:1510Don't Set Your Mind to Worryin'1:5911I Got Your Number3:3412Luv Work6:2013Scratchin' Time3:3014Blues from a Bottle2:3015Get Up 'n' Go2:0416Gonna Be Alright2:502009 · studio album
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Tracklist · 16 tracks · 54:13
1One Dog Barkin'3:192Cruise Control2:263Them 90's Blues3:554Leading Lady3:145Could Be You, Could Be Me2:426Hair of the Dog2:187Ode to Huddie3:328You're the Difference2:589Hogtown Blues4:2510Healing Power of the Blues2:1211Cry for Mother Africa3:4212Mellow Down4:5513Look a Like3:1714What About Forgiving3:1915Motor City3:3016I Can Feel You Leaving4:292011 · studio album
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Tracklist · 14 tracks · 52:31
1Cats In the Window3:012Trouble4:293Hound and Rabbit4:424Shame the Devil3:495That's Just Stupid4:416How Long3:237Musta Bin the Devil3:248Hard Time Blues3:179Snakes Lie3:1110Music To My Ears3:0711Fo' Day Train4:5512Stay2:5613Shake Em Free4:1514You Don't Know Me3:212013 · studio album
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Tracklist · 14 tracks · 53:39
1Voodoo4:382Cat And Mouse Thang2:483Black Alley Moan5:384Crap Shooter Blues3:195Lookin' For Happy2:486Tight Grip2:527Chain Gang Holler4:438Sport Fishin'3:219Chairman Of The Board3:3710Nothin' To Lose3:35112 Bullets Later3:0712Caught You Creepin'3:4713Nappy's Metaphysical Rag2:2614Tragedy7:002015 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 41:09
1Walkin’ or ridin’3:302Shake the hand4:193Falling down3:284Jimmy Lee3:435Can’t let go4:146Friday dream3:087You, me or us4:168Crocodile lies2:489I’ve got news for you3:4910Milk cow Blues2:4311I believe3:3612Judgment day1:352017 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 13 tracks · 46:32
1Who U Tellin'?3:422Afraid To Fail3:273Can U Feel Me Now?3:474Heavy Load5:475Blues Solution4:056Keep Your Coat On3:407County Party Line2:188Mountain Stomp2:089Long Pants2:3810Hummin' Blues2:4811Doctors In Hard Hats4:3512Takin' It Back3:2613Patches4:112018 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 42:24
1Here Comes Sunday Morning3:302That's Just Stupid3:583What's Going On4:154Blues Solution2:385No Monopoly on Hurt2:556Georgia on My Mind4:207Judgment Day2:398Back Alley Moan3:149T-Bone Shuffle3:1910Imagine4:0011Prisoners in the Open Air3:0512The Thrill Is Gone4:312022 · studio album
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Tracklist · 12 tracks · 39:27
1All I Need Is You3:242Easiest Thing3:393Thanks for Tomorrow3:334On Call Man3:225Women2:416Checkin' You Out2:577Crazy Love3:398Memphis Trippin'3:539Cranky Woman3:3910Doomed3:3011You Lost Me2:5612Just Wanna Play2:14
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Harrison Kennedy head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 5 | 32th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 11 | 82.8th |
| Studio albums | 11 | 91.9th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 13 | 89.7th |
| Recording span (years) | 50 | 90.9th |
| Genres | 2 | 74th |
Awards & honours
Line-up
| Name | From | To | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairmen of the Board(band) | — | present |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harrison_Kennedy_%40_Piacenza_Blues_Festival_day_2_06.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/15fc5087-7673-427b-aa38-c5be98c41b5bdiscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/15fc5087-7673-427b-aa38-c5be98c41b5bcore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q25190084genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q25190084seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Kennedy_%28musician%29biography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Kennedy_%28musician%29
Why this artist is in the database
- List of blues musicians — rank #58
| 1942 | | Canada | Electric blues* |
Tier rule: genre canon: blues
Image: Giulia Ciappa · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q25190084 · MusicBrainz: 15fc5087-7673-427b-aa38-c5be98c41b5b
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