Kenny Kerner obit

KENNY KERNER, a veteran rock critic, record producer and teacher, passed away on Tuesday morning at his home in L.A. No cause of death was given, but he’d been in poor health for the past year, with regular visits from a nurse. The sad news came from Chris Fletcher, who’d been working with Kenny on a series of workshop programs for their joint project thecoolschool for Music Business Studies. “Kenny was the most passionate about all kinds of music,” Fletcher wrote in an email to his fellow faculty members. “His desire to educate musicians about the business was contagious… [He was] dedicated, determined, overly detailed and, yes, the most lovable character I have ever known!” In a joint statement, KISS said of Kenny: “He was an early supporter of the band and co-produced our first two albums. He additionally did some terrific work that produced numerous hits, including ‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ for Gladys Knight and the Pips and ‘Brother Louie’ for Stories. He remained a friend till the end, and we will never forget his contributions to our early years.” (5/28a)