Acting•Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA•
Born June 12, 1914
•
† March 23, 1978
William Francis Kenny Jr. (June 12, 1914 – March 23, 1978) was an African American singer best known for his role as lead Tenor with The Ink Spots. In 1951, he started upon a solo career and his recording of "It Is No Secret" became a hit on the U.S. pop charts. In 1966 Bill Kenny was the star of "The Bill Kenny Show" which aired on Canada's CBC. In 1989, 11 years after his death, Bill Kenny was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Bill Kenny is often noted as being "the father of Doo-Wop". Singers such as Elvis Presley, Clyde McPhatter, Sam Cooke, Johnny Mathis, Jackie Wilson, Tony Williams (The Platters), Gene Mumford, and Nolan Strong have credited Bill Kenny for being a major early influence on them.
