 |
This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2008) (Find sources: Kipp Lennon – news, books, scholar) |
Christopher "Kipp" Lennon (born March 12, 1960 in Venice, California) is an American musician, currently fronting Venice.
Contents |
Family
The son of William and Isabelle Lennon, Lennon's given name is Christopher. The explanation he gives for his nickname is: When I was brought home from the hospital as a brand new baby, March 1960, everyone was calling me "Chrissy", like people do with newborns. You add an "e" or "y" or whatever to their name as an instant nickname. Okay, so my brother Joe was 3 years old and he couldn't say "Chrissy", and kept saying "Kippy". My brother Dan, who was ten, thought that was hilarious, and from that day on, literally my first day at home, I was dubbed Kippy, never to be called Christopher again except by doctors, teachers, cops, and my mom if she was mad at me.[1]
When Lennon was just nine years old, he and his family were forced to deal with the shooting death of their father, William, by a deranged fan, Chet Young (a stalker who believed himself to be married to Kipp's sister Peggy (of the Lennon Sisters and that the father stood in the way and had to be eliminated). Lying in wait, Young shot Mr. Lennon in the parking lot of the Marina Del Rey golf course and two months later used the same gun to commit suicide. The family later discovered an unopened letter having a cutout of Bill, a picture of a gun pointed at his head, and the words "High Noon" (the time of the murder) (source Dr. Doreen Orion, I Know You Really Love Me).
Music
Lennon sings lead vocals, plays guitar and writes songs for the band Venice, with whom he has released 13 albums/CDs and other works since 1986. He also sings for Pine Mountain Logs, a band containing many of the members of Venice and playing only cover versions of rock songs.
He performed with the rest of the band on their live DVD, "Venice, Live at the Royal Carre Theater." Additionally, Lennon released one solo album, "Boom Boom Party" (CBS/Sony), in 1987.
Lennon sang with David Crosby on his solo album Thousand Roads, and also performed vocals for the song "Suspension," which was the main title of the movie and TV series versions of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.
Lennon is the younger brother of the popular female quartet The Lennon Sisters, who rose to fame on the Lawrence Welk Show and continued a successful singing career in the subsequent decades.
Television roles
Lennon has contributed to several episodes of The Simpsons: in the episode "Stark Raving Dad," although Michael Jackson (credited as "John Jay Smith") performed the speaking part of Leon Kompowski, a character who pretended he was Michael Jackson, Lennon sang the songs because Jackson was only contracted to speak, not sing. He sang Jackson's songs "Ben" and "Billie Jean" as well as the original song "Lisa, It's Your Birthday," written by Jackson. He also provides Jackson's singing voice in The Jacksons: An American Dream.
Lennon also sang the songs "Flaming Moe's" (a spoof of the theme song from the TV series "Cheers") in the episode "Flaming Moe's," "The Sound of Grandpa" from "Lady Bouvier's Lover" and "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" from "Duffless." He sang the original song "I'm Checking In" featured in the Betty Ford musical in "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson."
In addition to The Simpsons, Lennon voiced Michael Jackstone on The Flintstone Kids' Just Say No Special, and various roles in The Story of Santa Claus, The Fall Guy, and Eight Is Enough and the TV series of Herbie the Love Bug.
Lennon also sang the theme songs to C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. and the theatrical pilot of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. (Coincidentally, "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson" references C.H.U.D..)
Lennon sang "Secret Agent Man" in the movie Can't Buy Me Love.
References
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
