About Kenny G
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick , known professionally as Kenny G, is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and producer. His 1986 album Duotones brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with global sales totaling more than 75 million records.
Kenny G was born in Seattle, Washington to a Jewish family. His mother was a Canadian Jew from Saskatchewan. He came into contact with the saxophone when he heard a performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. He started playing the saxophone, a Buffet Crampon alto, in 1966 when he was 10 years old.
Kenny G attended Whitworth Elementary School, Sharples Junior High School , Franklin High School, and the University of Washington, all in his home city of Seattle. When he entered high school he failed at his first attempt to get into the jazz band but auditioned again the following year and earned first chair. His Franklin High School classmate Robert Damper plays in his band. In addition to his studies while in high school, he took private lessons on the saxophone and clarinet from Johnny Jessen, once a week for a year.
Kenny G's career started with a job as a sideman for Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra in 1973, when he was 17 and still in high school. He continued to play professionally while studying for a major in accounting at the University of Washington in Seattle, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude. He qualified, and only needed to pass the CPA exam to get into practice.
Using the name Kenny Gorelick, he played flute and saxophones with the Seattle funk band Cold, Bold & Together during 1975–1976 before becoming a credited member of the Jeff Lorber Fusion in 1980. He then left the band, later stating that he had outgrown them.
Kenny G signed with Arista Records as a solo artist in 1982, after label president Clive Davis heard his rendition of "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. He adopted Kenny G as his stage name because it "had a nice ring to it". His debut studio album, Kenny G, was recorded in 1981 with members of the Jeff Lorber Fusion, and released in the following year. The album received warm reviews from critics, and reached No. 10 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. Kenny G followed his debut with G Force in January 1983 and Gravity in May 1985, both of which reached Platinum certification in the US for selling one million copies. During this time, he collaborated with musician, singer, songwriter, and producer Kashif on many tracks, including the 1985 single "Love on the Rise".
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