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KENNY KITCHING

Internationally acclaimed pedal steel and dobro player  Kenny Kitching, is a respected veteran of the Pedal steel guitar, the Dobro guitar and the Hawaiian guitar.

He is well renowned in Australia and the USA for his artistry in all these fields.

Kenny has been in demand as a session musician over the years, and has played on many albums for a lot of famous Australian recording artists- such as Arthur Blanch, Johnny Ashcroft, Jimmy Little, Lionel Rose, Tex Morton, Buddy Williams, John Williamson, Wendy Mathews, Kate Cebrano, Emma Hannah,  Jade Hurley, Kevin King, Nev Nicholls and Slim Dusty to name a few.

As Eric Watson wrote in his book ‘Country Music in Australia’ (volume 2) about Kenny:
‘His name was Kenny Kitching and he was to become known as the greatest exponent of the pedal steel and dobro that Australia has produced.’

 On a trip to Tonga in 1955 he was invited to play in the palace of Queen Salote Tupoui lll of Tonga. The queen’s son Prince John asked him to play for his three year old daughter.  Years later in 1975, at a club in Sydney, that little girl (who was attending the University of Sydney) recognised Kenny at a club as being the steel guitar player who had played for her when she was a toddler. A lovely surprise and coincidence after all those years.

Kenny has been honoured overseas by an induction into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in St Louis Missouri, USA,  and has received the coveted Jerry Byrd Lifetime Achievement Award, for steel guitar players.

In 1989 he was invited to represent Australia in Hawaii to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar.

Honours in Australia include the Tamworth Roll of Renown, Hands of Fame, and Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. He has appeared on many TV shows including  the  Travellin Out West TV show for the Grundy Organisation, ‘That’s Country’ in NZ with the John McCall Band  and worked with many bands over the years including  the  ‘Deep Creek Band’ in Qld.
Kenny Kitching now resides in NSW, and appears regularly on the club and concert circuit.

The above photos are of Kenny being presented his Australian Hall of Fame Plaque and the Plaque itself. Kenny was presented with this at the 2007 Brisbane Steel Guitar Club Festival

Contact Kenny on 02 4243 1504
Or mob 0402 482 530
Kennydobro2steel@live.com