Kenny G

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Kenneth Bruce Gorelick (born June 5, 1956), known professionally as Kenny G, is an American smooth jazz saxophonist, composer, and producer.

He started playing the saxophone, a Buffet Crampon alto, in 1966 when he was 10 years old.

Kenny G attended Whitworth Elementary School, Sharples Junior High School (renamed Kurose Middle School), Franklin High School, and the University of Washington, all in his home city of Seattle.

When he entered high school he failed at his first attempt to get into the jazz band but auditioned again the following year and earned first chair.

His Franklin High School classmate Robert Damper (piano, keyboards) plays in his band.

In addition to his studies while in high school, he took private lessons on the saxophone and clarinet from Johnny Jessen, once a week for a year.

Kenny G's career started with a job as a sideman for Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra in 1973, when he was 17 and still in high school.

He continued to play professionally while studying for a major in accounting at the University of Washington in Seattle, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude.

He qualified, and only needed to pass the CPA exam to get into practice.

Using the name Kenny Gorelick, he played flute and saxophones with the Seattle funk band Cold, Bold & Together during 1975–1976 before becoming a credited member of the Jeff Lorber Fusion in 1980.

He then left the band, later stating that he had outgrown them.

Kenny G worked in the mid-to-late 1980s with jazz and R&B artists such as George Benson, Patti LaBelle and Aretha Franklin.

His debut studio album, Kenny G, was recorded in 1981 with members of the Jeff Lorber Fusion, and released in the following year.

The album received warm reviews from critics, and reached No. 10 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.

Kenny G signed with Arista Records as a solo artist in 1982, after label president Clive Davis heard his rendition of "Dancing Queen" by ABBA.

He adopted Kenny G as his stage name because it "had a nice ring to it".

Kenny G followed his debut with G Force in January 1983 and Gravity in May 1985, both of which reached Platinum certification in the US for selling one million copies.

During this time, he collaborated with musician, singer, songwriter, and producer Kashif on many tracks, including the 1985 single "Love on the Rise".

His 1986 album Duotones brought him commercial success.

Kenny G is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with global sales totaling more than 75 million records.

Kenny G was born in Seattle, Washington to a Jewish family.

His mother was a Canadian Jew from Saskatchewan.

He came into contact with the saxophone when he heard a performance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

In 1986, Kenny G entered the most commercially successful period of his career.

His fourth solo album, Duotones, was released in September 1986 and features an original instrumental track, "Songbird", inspired by his decision to move from Seattle to Los Angeles, which marked the start of a new life for him.

The album went on to sell five million copies in the US alone and increased his profile worldwide as a result.

"Songbird" reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the lead single, "Don't Make Me Wait for Love", featuring Lenny Williams on lead vocals, went to No. 15 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in 1987.

The 1987 hit single "Love Power", a Dionne Warwick duet with Jeffrey Osborne that featured G as a guest saxophonist, peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 5 on R&B/Hip-Hop songs.

His first live album, Kenny G Live, included popular songs, among which "Going Home" achieved great success in the People's Republic of China.

Kenny G has collaborated with a wide variety of artists, such as Andrea Bocelli, Aaron Neville, Toni Braxton, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Natalie Cole, Steve Miller, Weezer, Dudley Moore, Lee Ritenour, The Rippingtons, Michael Bolton, Celine Dion, Frank Sinatra, Bebel Gilberto, and Smokey Robinson.

Influenced by saxophonist Grover Washington Jr., his albums are usually classified as smooth jazz.

Kenny G has worked on several film soundtracks, including Dying Young and The Bodyguard.

The song "Theme for Dying Young", written for that movie, was nominated for the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

Kenny G appears on the soundtrack of The Bodyguard, starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston, performing "Waiting for You" and "Even If My Heart Would Break".

His sixth studio album, Breathless, was released in 1992, and went on to become the best-selling instrumental album ever, with over 15 million copies sold worldwide, selling 12 million copies in the United States alone.

The album included many hits such as "Forever in Love", the recipient of the Grammy Award for the Best Instrumental Composition and which charted in the Billboard Year-End Hot 100.

"Sentimental" charted at No. 27 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, and "By the Time This Night Is Over", a collaboration with Peabo Bryson, peaked at No. 25 on the Hot 100.

His first holiday album, Miracles, sold over 13 million copies, making it the most successful Christmas album to date.

He also performed the "National Anthem of the United States" at the 1994 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on July 17, 1994.