Kenoly was born in
Coffeyville, Kansas, in southeast
Kansas and grew up there. He said that when his mother, Edith Kenoly, was pregnant with him, she rubbed her stomach and prayed, "
Lord, let this one praise you." He was interested in a musical career from a young age and said, "As a child I remember seeing
Sammy Davis Jr. and
Nat King Cole for the first time. I was so impressed as I watched two Black men grace a national stage. I knew right then that was what I wanted." After graduating from high school in Coffeyville, Kenoly moved to
Hollywood, Los Angeles. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1965 to 1968. During his Air Force career, Kenoly was a member of the Mellow Fellows, a top 40 cover band which toured military bases. After leaving the Air Force, he returned to
Los Angeles to continue his music career. He sang demos of
Jimmy Webb songs including "
Up, Up and Away," for the Audio Arts label. The label also released Kenoly's first single, "The Glory of Your Love (Mine Eyes Have Seen)." He later signed with
A&M Records. The label's executives gave Kenoly the stage name Ron Keith, and he recorded the R&B tracks "I Betcha I'll Get Ya," "Soul Vaccination," and 1975's "Can't Live Without You." Kenoly and Candy Rae were the first act signed to George Semper's Inner City label. Semper remarked, "The two of them came and sang the song at my house, and I knew straight away I wanted to sign them." Their single "Lovely Weekend", recorded in 1972 at Clark Brown Audio studio in
Crenshaw, Los Angeles sold nearly 200,000 copies. Kenoly later stopped recording secular music and for four years attempted to get a gospel record deal. In 1983, he released his first
Christian album,
You Ought to Listen to This. In early 1985, Ron attended Marin Bible College in Marin County CA. The college featured several well-know musicians including James Trumbo from the Van Morrison Band, Donna Jean Godcheaux from The Grateful Dead, David McKay from Michael Nesmith's band and Pat Craig of the Tazmanian Devils, all who had left secular music to follow Christ.. He eventually began to lead praise and worship for other pastors including
Jack Hayford and
Lester Sumrall catching the attention of
evangelist Mario Murillo, who introduced him to Pastor Dick Bernal, the founder of
Jubilee Christian Center in
San Jose, California. Kenoly began working as a full-time minister in 1985 as JCC's worship leader mainly leading worship services. In 1987, he was ordained and installed as a music pastor. In 1993, he was named Jubilee Christian Center's Ambassador of Music. He began consulting churches across the U.S. about developing their music departments. In 1996, Kenoly received his Doctorate in Ministry of Sacred Music degree. In 1999, he moved to
central Florida and continued to travel, speak, sing, teach, and record until his death. He wrote books, one of which he co-authored with Pastor Dick Bernal. Ron Kenoly was revered around the world especially in Africa. ==Personal life and death==