Who is KENN?

I was born Kenneth Wayne Patterson, Jr., (nicknamed "Boola" and later KENN) in Dallas, Texas, November 19, 1968. I've been involved in music for a very long time. I've been singing (and rapping) the vast majority of my life. I started playing the keyboard in 1985 after dabbling around on the pianos that were already in the house. My grandmother ran a music school years before I was even born.

I started singing at a very young age. My father, Kenneth Sr., was happily supporting the dream of his four sons. Helping my brothers and I design air guitars for a backyard concert that would be held at our house in Dallas in 1978.

I was also encouraged by a very loving mother, Melva, that always believed I had a beautiful singing voice. She put on talent shows at the Hilltop Learning Center in Amarillo, Texas, where we lived with my widowed grandfather. My grandmother died when I was six.

Momma would make Kathi, my older sister, and I attend or participate in the shows. We had to one or the other. I really thank her for that. Besides, it was fun!

A longtime friend of mine, Tony Johnson, was an inspiration for me to get a synthesizer keyboard for myself. Truth is, my older brother, Kenny (we have the same full names), would play alongside with me on the pianos and the organ that was in the house. We were both inspired.

I still remember the powerful and indescribable feeling that came over me the first time I played on Tony's Roland JX3P synthesis. "It was a cool feeling knowing that I was playing on an instrument that would be used to record real records. I was thinking I had to have one.

Upon receiving a Yamaha DX9 for my 17th birthday, I followed in Tony's footsteps and took the stage as a keyboardist for the very first time at ROXZ (pronounced rock-zee), a local club/dentist's office that my grandfather owned. I took the stage as a solo musician; cold turkey. My brother, Kenny was also a DJ at ROXZ. Our trio, Tony (Jo-Un-Zun), Kenny (Kenny Ken), and KENN (Boola P) would later form a group called "Jo-Un-Zun and the Am-I-Rights"(AmIRights). I still think I thought of the commercialization of the word "AIR" first. I guess I always had my entrepreneur hat on all the time.

Jo-Un-Zun and the Am-I-Rights lasted for a year-and-a-half to two years. Tony would announce he was leaving the group on December 31, 1986. His exact words were, "As of January 1st, 1987, I am no longer a member of Jo-Un-Zun and the Am-I-Rights." And we were like, "Cool."

I still appreciate the learning experience of playing with Tony. I went on to record album projects with my brothers. We later changed our name from "Am-I-Rights" to "AmIRight" then to "Da LYC". We would release our first physical album (CD's and cassettes, rather). We released it under our family label "All In Rhythm Productions" in 1995 (or 1996).

In 2000, I released another EP CD under the title "CLIMAX" and going by my then stage name (and Daddy-given nickname), BOOLA. A quick search for the name Boola on Google turned up more than 1 million results. This disturbed me to the fullest. I always felt like I was the one and only BOOLA. At least after the Yale fight god anyway. Yeah, right! Silly me. I never knew there were so many entities with the name 'Boola' though! Damn! It was mind-blowing!

A couple (or few) years would lapse before I would take a part in a local play and be named "Best New Comer" and receive 4 "All-Star Cast" awards for a production called "Smokey Joe's Cafe."

Blurry, but that's me far left singing with the Strange Saints

I'm in the vest in the middle and probably the only one you can't see with his hands up. Lol. "On Broadway"

Me performing "Ying-Yang"

I do credit my theater experience to the Amarillo Little Theatre as well my Alma Mater, Tascosa High School. I'm a Rebel for life!

My next job was working at Graham's Central Station as an entertainer in a sort of show karaoke bar. That job lasted four years until the closed for business in Amarillo. I took a job as a seasonal tax preparer in 2008. After that, Dollar Tree and being substitute teacher for a year. That is, until he lost his job again.

Always inspired by music though, I continue to record songs from wherever I am. I also sing backup on a lot of tracks for other up-and-coming artists. I also produce for other other artists. Not as much as I used to though.

Aside from being a recording artist, I am a freelance writer and I'm also working on a novel. I also love sports, working out, writing stories, product and app reviews, and other types of blogs. I like to trade binary options. I am also an avid opportunity-seeker. The way I see it, who isn't?

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The Kenn Theory Blog Site

Kenn

This blog features music from KENN (a.k.a. Boola "P"). This is the spot where you'll be able to listen, purchase, and receive updates on new music and projects by KENN. Be on the lookout for the KENN: The KENN Theory.

In the meantime in-between time, check out the new video by Kenn entitled "I Don't Know WYD 2 Me."

KENN is featuring a couple of newfound friends and up-and-coming artists on his new album. The production of this album is quite different from the preferred R&B genre that this amp 47-year-old local entertaining veteran is used to.

Most of the songs are short and sweet as they are only the length of a ring-tone. However, he gets his point across in a fun, funky, and melodic way.

"I just want to have fun this time. I wanna do some things I haven't done with my music or on any of my projects!", KENN says with a bubbly smile on his face.

No doubt he has tried some different things with this project. He has taken to rap and has created a few characters. The thing is what a lot of older fans of Da LYC may not remember is KENN (referred to as Boola "P" at the time) was the hype guy. Sometimes he would open sets with cover raps or some he or his younger brother, Chris, had written for him.

 I would have to say he is very different from who I used to know as Boola "P".  I asked the new KENN what made him change his stage name from Boola "P" after so many years? His reply was, "Have you done a search on Google for the name 'Boola'? It's over a million!"

I guess that would be something to consider. A search for the name Kenn as a recording artist didn't yield as much competition. The fact that he was already comfortable with using it as a stage name from his former job as a show karaoke entertainer.

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Trying to keep a blog up for KENN isn't one of the easiest things to do, considering his approach to recording music. Forgive me for saying, Kenn. But as long as he's having fun with all of it, I guess that's all that really matters. "When you stop having fun, what's it all for really?", he rants mildly.

To hear the project up close and personal is a lot different. It actually sounds ready. For whatever reason when it's played back, something happens to the quality. He explains that the method he uses only records the waveform of his voice vs. recording his actual voice. In other words, "it's only imitating what it hears -- kinda like a parrot!", he says laughing like a smart ass.

I told him I guess that would explain it then. I told him to reconsider the name of the album. He seemed to kinda think about it. Don't hold your breath though. He may or may not. I've heard a lot of tracks on the project. He's still not sure which ones (or how many) will actually make the album. The goal is for a long play album because most of the songs aren't very long.

Keep coming back for more posts. Leave a comment below.

Learn how to place music on itunes at ReverbNation.com