Kenny Klein (1955-2020) was an American

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

and

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

ian and a published author. He was an elder and high priest in the Blue Star tradition of

Wicca Wicca () is a modern Pagan religion. Scholars of religion categorise it as both a new religious movement and as part of the occultist stream of Western esotericism. It was developed in England during the first half of the 20th century and was ...

. Klein was a fiddler, playing styles ranging from British folk to

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

and swing. He was convicted in April 2017 of 20 counts of possession of

child pornography Child pornography (also called CP, child sexual abuse material, CSAM, child porn, or kiddie porn) is pornography that unlawfully exploits children for sexual stimulation. It may be produced with the direct involvement or sexual assault of a chi ...

. He died while serving his sentence in prison.

Musical career

Born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, Klein and his then-wife performed as a duo called ''Kenny and Tzipora'' in the mid-1980s, and they recorded several projects on Kicking Mule Records, including the album ''Wineskins, Tinkers, & Tears'' in 1985. Together with their children they traveled around the US, performing at pagan festivals,

Renaissance fair A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire or Renaissance festival is an outdoor gathering open to the public and typically commercial in nature, which purportedly recreates a historical setting for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent the ...

s, and folk music venues. In 1992, Kenny and Tzipora divorced, and Kenny began his solo music career, subsequently releasing several projects on Blackthorn Records. In 1998 he released the CD ''Muses'', an album of all original music produced by Brewers' Witch Productions.

Neopagan activities

Through his interest in British folk music, Klein discovered the Wiccan and

Neopagan Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, is a term for a religion or family of religions influenced by the various historical pre-Christian beliefs of pre-modern peoples in Europe and adjacent areas of North Afric ...

communities. While living in New York City, he joined Tzipora Katz's Blue Star coven and tradition of Wicca; he married Katz, who initiated him as a high priest in that tradition in 1983. From 1983 to 1992 Katz and Klein were largely responsible for transforming Blue Star from a local coven to a Wiccan tradition of its own. Touring the country during that period performing music, Kenny and Tzipora continued to teach Blue Star Wicca, initiating people and founding covens, as well as teaching via recording and distributing lessons on cassette tapes. In 1993, Klein authored ''The Flowering Rod: Men, Sex and Spirituality'', a book on Wicca and men's mysteries.

Child pornography conviction

On March 25, 2014, agents of the Louisiana State Police Special Victims Unit executed a search warrant at Klein's residence and seized a computer that contained 20 videos showing minor children engaged in sexually explicit activities. On April 6, 2017, after a three-day jury trial, Klein was convicted of one count of pornography involving a juvenile under age 13, and 19 counts of possession with intent to distribute pornography involving juveniles under age 17. He was sentenced to twenty years in prison, fined $2,500 and ordered that, upon release, he wear an electronic ankle monitor for the rest of his life. During the course of his trial, testimony from both of his children revealed years of sexual abuse while they were young, verifying his actions as a criminal pedophile. It also revealed his physical abuse of his ex-wife. The court testimony is public record.

Death

On 13 July 2020 it was reported on the ''Wild Hunt'' and in various places on social media that on Saturday, 11 July 2020, Klein died in prison of pancreatic cancer, in the B.B. “Sixty” Rayburn Correctional Facility in Washington Parish near Angie, Louisiana.

Written works

*''Fairy Tale Rituals'' (May 2011), Llewellyn Worldwide * ''Through The Faerie Glass'' (February 2010), Llewellyn Worldwide * ''The Flowering Rod: Men, Sex and Spirituality'' (March 1993), Delphi Press , * ''Lilith, Queen of the Desert'' (July 2010), includes the poem "Lilith" by Kenny Klein, Knickerbocker Circus Publishing, * ''Girls I Knew When I Was Twenty'' (August 2004), Poetic Diversity. * ''Legba in the French Market'' Strange Road Website
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Discography

Solo

* 1994: ''Gold of the Autumn'' – Blackthorn Records * 1995: ''High Grows the Barley'' – Blackthorn Records * 1998: ''Muses'' – Brewers' Witch Productions * 2004: ''The Fairy Queen'' – Blackthorn Records * 2005: ''Little Birds Of Desire'' – Blackthorn Records * 2005: ''Barley Moon'' – Blackthorn Records * 2007: ''Meet Me in the Shade of the Maple Tree'' – Blackthorn Records * 2008: ''Oak & Ash'' – Blackthorn Records * 2011: ''Ghosts of the Delta'' – Independent * 2012: ''Black Cat Blues'' – Independent

With Tzipora Katz

* 1983: ''Worn Out Threads and Tire Treads'' (live album) – Kicking Mule Records * 1983: ''Moon Hooves in the Sand'' – Blue Star Records (cassette) * 1984: ''Songs of the Otherworld'' – Kenny & Tzipora (cassette) * 1985: ''Wineskins, Tinkers, & Tears'' – Kicking Mule Records (LP) * 1986: ''Dreamer's Web'' – Kenny & Tzipora (cassette) * 1988: ''Fairy Queen'' – Kenny & Tzipora (cassette) * 1989: ''Both Sides of the Water'' – Kenny & Tzipora (cassette) * 1990: ''Branches'' – Kenny & Tzipora — Magical Audio Graphics Incomplete (cassette) * 1990: ''Kenny & Tzipora: Live & Kickin' at A.C.E.'' – A.C.E. (cassette) * 1990: ''Enchantress'' – Gypsy (Kenny & Tzipora guest artists) – White Light Pentacles (cassette; CD release 2001) * 2004: ''Best of Pagan Song'' (compilation CD) – Serpentine Music Productions

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Klein, Kenny 1955 births 2020 deaths 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American violinists American bluegrass musicians American fiddlers American folk musicians American jazz violinists American male violinists American members of the clergy convicted of crimes American occultists American people convicted of child pornography offenses American people who died in prison custody American Wiccans American male jazz musicians Renaissance fair performers Wiccan priests Prisoners who died in Louisiana detention Deaths from pancreatic cancer Deaths from cancer in Louisiana