Kenny Loggins

Kenny Loggins was born in Everett, Washington. His musical career began in high school, when he started a band called Second Helping. In 1970, he started an accidental partnership with singer-songwriter Jim Messina, who originally was supposed to help Loggins put together his first album for Warner Brothers. When all was said and done, Messina had contributed so much to the album Sittin' In that they became a duo. Loggins and Messina was one of the most successful duos of the 1970s and recorded memorable radio hits such as "Your Mama Don't Dance," "Angry Eyes," and "Danny's Song," written for Loggins's brother to celebrate the birth of his first child.

A clash of egos led to Loggins and Messina splitting up in 1976. Loggins felt the need to prove he could make it on his own, saying on the website for their 2005 reunion tour that the relationship had become an unhealthy one for him because he viewed Messina as a mentor and eventually, he had to move on. He also points out that he had always intended to be a solo act. Loggins released his first solo album, Celebrate Me Home, in 1977 and followed it up in 1978 with Nightwatch, which features the hit duet with Stevie Nicks, "Whenever I Call You "Friend"." His collaboration with Michael McDonald on "This Is It" in 1979 led to his first Grammy. Loggins wrote the song for his father as inspiration to him when he was facing a life-threatening illness, transforming the original lyrics from a love song to a song about living.

In the 1980s, Loggins was known for his theme songs on several movies that are now considered classics, such as "I'm Alright" for Caddyshack, "Danger Zone" for Top Gun, and the one he considers his favorite, "Footloose." He considers himself fortunate to have taken his career in that direction as disco was changing what was being played on the radio, acknowledging that movies "kept bread on the table for most of the 80s."