Luther Kent was born as
Kent Rowell in New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 23, 1948. As a vocalist, he was influenced by artists such as
Bobby Bland,
Etta James, and
Ray Charles. Kent began to sing professionally when he was 14, and his first record was released by Montel Records. In 1970, he became the lead singer for a group named Cold Grits. The group was subsequently signed to
Ode Records, but their record was never released. Apart from his solo work, Kent also sang as a guest with the traditional jazz group,
The Dukes of Dixieland on selected dates. Kent was also on some of their recordings. Kent also had a brief cameo in the pilot episode of
Cop Rock, a short lived
police procedural-
musical television series that aired for only 11 episodes on
ABC in 1990. In his only acting credit, Kent portrayed a corporate lobbyist attempting to bribe the mayor of
Los Angeles. He also had a solo in that scene's musical number. Kent died on August 16, 2024, at the age of 76 due to heart failure. ==Discography==