Kenneth Guy Gist Jr. (June 21, 1944 – March 27, 2018), known as Kenny O'Dell, was an American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

singer and songwriter, best known for writing the number-one

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014, a British compilation album s ...

" Behind Closed Doors" (recorded by

Charlie Rich Charles Allan Rich (December 14, 1932July 25, 1995) was an American country singer. His eclectic style of music also blended influences from rockabilly, jazz, blues, soul, and gospel. In the later part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname t ...

, 1973) and " Mama He's Crazy" (

The Judds The Judds were an American country music duo composed of lead vocalist-guitarist Wynonna Judd and her mother Naomi Judd on backup vocals. The duo signed to RCA Records in 1983 and released six studio albums between then and 1991. The Judds wer ...

, 1984). O'Dell was inducted into the

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1970 by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. A non-profit organization, its objective is to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy that i ...

Career

Early in his career, he worked with guitarist

Duane Eddy Duane Eddy (April 26, 1938 – April 30, 2024) was an American guitarist. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he had a string of hit records produced by Lee Hazlewood which were noted for their characteristically "twangy" guitar sound, including ...

, and his own band, Guys and Dolls. When O'Dell first moved to Nashville in 1969, he ran Bobby Goldsboro's publishing company. He also wrote pop and soft rock songs, including " Next Plane to London", which was a Top 20 hit in 1967 for The Rose Garden. The Crickets recorded two of his songs in 1972 and 1973, namely "My Rockin' Days" and "Rock'n'Roll Man". Charlie Rich had a top 10 country hit in 1972 with the O'Dell song, "I Take It On Home". It was followed by " Behind Closed Doors", which won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

in 1973 for Best Country & Western Recording. O'Dell wrote or co-wrote the number-one country hits " Trouble in Paradise" (

Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "Hey Loretta", "The Pill (song), The P ...

, 1974) and " Lizzie and the Rainman" (

Tanya Tucker Tanya Denise Tucker (born October 10, 1958) is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. During her career Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature into adulthood ...

, 1975). His other top-10 hit was "What I've Got in Mind" ( Billie Jo Spears, 1976). As a performer, O'Dell had a top-40 pop hit with "Beautiful People", released in 1967. He later had five top-40 country hits, topped by the top-10 hit "Let's Shake Hands And Come Out Lovin'" in 1978. The follow-up, "As Long As I Can Wake Up In Your Arms" peaked at No. 12 in 1979.

Personal life and death

O'Dell's wife, guitarist Vivian J. "Corki" Ray (née Casey) Gist died at the age of 80 in 2017. The couple had three children. O'Dell died of natural causes on March 27, 2018, in Cool Springs, Tennessee. He was 73.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Awards

*1973—Grammy\Best Country Song\"Behind Closed Doors" *1973—CMA\Song of the Year\"Behind Closed Doors" *1973—CMA\Single of the Year\"Behind Closed Doors" *1973—ACM\Song of the Year\"Behind Closed Doors" *1973—ACM\Single of the Year\"Behind Closed Doors" *1984—Nashville Songwriters Association International\Songwriter of the Year *1984—NSAI\Song of the Year\"Mama He's Crazy" *1985—BMI\Country Song of the Year\"Mama He's Crazy"

References

External links

Nashville Songwriters profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Odell, Kenny 1944 births 2018 deaths American male singer-songwriters American country singer-songwriters Grammy Award winners Capricorn Records artists Epic Records artists Singer-songwriters from Oklahoma People from Antlers, Oklahoma Country musicians from Oklahoma White Whale Records artists