1 of 1
- aflem
- Member
Offline 
- Registered: August 11, 2019
- Posts: 1,435
Los Bravos Lead Singer Had It All - But Lost It Through Bad Behaviour
Remember Los Bravos, a near one-hit wonder with "Black Is Black?" They became one of the only groups from Spain to ever reach the charts in a big way around the world. (It soared to #4 in the U.S. and #1 in Canada.)
The lead singer was a guy named Mike Kennedy and while he was born in Germany, he only achieved fame when he moved to Spain. He was a huge star there and made a lot of money. But as the article linked below indicates, he lost it all due to a narcissistic behaviour that led him to throw away his fame and growing fortune, leaving him near destitute and living in a long term care centre in his adopted country.
He just turned 80 and is looking back at a life that should have gone very differently. A really interesting story on a guy who, while you know the voice, I'm betting most of us couldn't even name.
The extraordinary life of Los Bravos singer Mike Kennedy, a genuine musical rebel
- aflem
- Member
Offline
- Registered: August 11, 2019
- Posts: 1,435
Re: Los Bravos Lead Singer Had It All - But Lost It Through Bad Behaviour
If I can just add a personal reflection on this, a long time ago, the host of a radio show I produced had the great Gene Pitney on as a guest, and he invited phone calls. One of them came from a listener who wanted to know why he never performed "Black Is Black" at his concerts. Pitney then good naturedly explained that it was a common myth that he was the voice on that song, and admitted they did sound alike. Turns out it was Mike Kennedy all along!
The other thing this article does is to confirm something I wasn't sure of. I'd heard for years that the singer on "Black Is Black" didn't speak English and he sounded out the words in order to produce a record that could be played in the U.K. and the U.S. I never entirely believed it, but this story persisted over the years. Now I finally know what I always suspected - it's not true. Kennedy spoke English perfectly well before he moved to Spain. He didn't have to sound out anything and he performed this hit flawlessly.
Last edited by aflem (April 14, 2024 8:54 am)
- •
Thread Starter
1 of 1