Born on Christmas Day, in the farming community of Kenner, Louisiana, upriver from New Orleans, Kenner sang
gospel music with his church choir. He moved to New Orleans when he was in his teens, to work as a
stevedore.
Fats Domino covered it the next year, and his version became a hit on the pop chart. In 1963 he released his most enduring song, "
Land of 1000 Dances", it was reissued on CD by Collectors' Choice in 2007. Kenner's career was affected by his unpredictable behavior – he drank and spent heavily, and he sometimes missed shows or forgot the words to his songs. Kenner died from a heart attack in 1976, at the age of 46, triggered by alcoholism. ==Chart singles==