2016 was a tough year for music lovers.
David Bowie passed away.
Glen Frey passed away.
Maurice White passed away.
Phife Dawg passed away.
Merle Haggard.
Prince passed away.
Leonard Cohen passed away.
George Michael passed away.
Thank goodness Kenny Loggins is still around. I may have been crushed.
But Kenny Loggins isn’t just hanging on, he was thriving in 2016. Yacht Rock has steadily increased in popularity, and if anyone is the King of Yacht Rock it is Kenny Loggins. He wrote a children’s book that was released in October. It was appropriately named Footloose. He performed multiple concerts across the United States. He spent time in the studio recording a new album with his current band, the Blue Sky Riders that available for purchase on their website. He also performed at a benefit in New York City where $1.1 million dollars were raised for Little Kids Rock, an organization that promotes music education. Kenny Loggins even composed and recorded an original song for the comedy / parody movie Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal: The Movie created by Funny Or Die.
And Kenny Loggins hasn’t sat back at the start of 2017 either!
To kick off the New Year he performed at the Sundance Film Festival’s An Artist at the Table event. He was also visited a middle school in Los Angeles to play music with the students’ and gave them advice on getting started with a music career. Kenny Loggins even recorded a new song with the artist Thundercat called “Show You The Way” that was released January 25th.
This year marks the 6th annual celebration of Kenny Loggins Day. It has slowly grown from me celebrating in an office by myself, to becoming a building-wide event in my school. Even if the rest of the staff is celebrating because of the silliness of it all – it is a day where we all listen to Kenny Loggins and I spout all sorts of different facts.
I’m not a Kenny Loggins fanatic. And I’m not someone who can’t see that this is a little ridiculous for me to spend time making postcards, business cards, stickers and banners all to celebrate a holiday that I made up myself. I understand that. But man does it make me happy. And it also makes me happy to see others get a kick out of it as well, even if it is at my expense.
But that’s the point of Kenny Loggins Day. It is something to celebrate. It is a fun day to listen to music, talk unabashedly about Kenny Loggins and how amazing it is for any artist to have such a lengthy on-going relevant career and to try to get others join on in… just because.
So join me in celebrating the 6th Annual Kenny Loggins Day this year on February 16th, 2017.
AJ Charpentier
President of the Kenny Loggins Day Association
There came to be a few simple rules with Kenny Loggins Day.
1) It has to be celebrated on a work day.
a. Kenny Loggins music is meant to be shared. Co-Workers are the best people to share it with. Blast some Kenny Loggins at work. Kenny Loggins Day will always be February 16th, but it has to be observed on a work day.
b. Therefore if KLD falls on the weekend, or President’s Day, it will be celebrated the next work day. (I’m sorry to everyone who does not work in a school or government job. I get President’s Day off, and I’m President of the Kenny Loggins Day Association, so it will not be celebrated on President’s Day. Besides, Kenny Loggins doesn’t need to share his holiday.)
2) While it is Kenny Loggins Day, Full Soundtracks featuring Kenny Loggins Songs are acceptable music.
a. That means the Top Gun Soundtrack, Caddyshack, Pooh Corner, Footloose and other soundtracks featuring Kenny Loggins can be played and enjoyed in their entirety.
3) Loggins and Messina count. As does the Blue Sky Riders and any songs Kenny Loggins is featured in, wrote, or co-wrote.
4) No non-Loggins related music. Kenny Loggins has 13 studio albums, 2 Live albums, 2 Compilation Albums and is on many classic 80’s and 90’s soundtracks. More than enough to keep you listening without much repetition. And he’s still making more music!!!
5) You have to be unabashed in your celebration of Kenny Loggins Day. A sign, a poster, business cards to hand out, twitter, facebook, post it notes… whatever. Anything to announce that you are indeed celebrating Kenny Loggins Day.
That’s it. That’s Kenny Loggins Day.
You know Kenny Loggins is ready.