Grace Kennedy (singer)

Grace Kennedy (born 2 March 1958) is a former BBC British singer and television presenter, now luxury wedding and event designer.

Grace Kennedy
Born (1958-03-02) 2 March 1958
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Occupation(s)singer, television presenter, actress, entrepreneur
Known for- TV entertainment show
- luxury wedding and event designer
TelevisionGrace Kennedy Show

Career

Grace Kennedy was born at Montego Bay, Jamaica on 2 March 1958.[1] She first came into the public eye after winning the TV talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1977[2] and then also featuring in a 1979 episode of Star Treatment.[3] She was subsequently signed by the BBC to present her own Saturday night primetime entertainment show, The Grace Kennedy Show, which ran for six series between 1981–1983 and won a BAFTA award.[4] Guests included Bruce Forsyth,[5] Al Jarreau,[6] The Pointer Sisters[7] and Derek Griffiths.[8]

She has also appeared on other series, among them The Royal Variety Performance,[9] Live From Her Majesty's,[10][11] String Sound,[12] Saturday Night is Gala Night,[13] Home on Sunday,[14] Lena Zavaroni and Music,[15] The Good Old Days,[16] Des O'Connor Tonight,[17] The Les Dawson Show,[18] The Rod and Emu Show[19] and the sixth season premiere of Magnum, P.I..

Onstage, Kennedy starred in the 1992 West End Cotton Club musical revue,[20] the 1994 production of Carmen Jones (directed by actor Simon Callow)[21] and the 2005 production of Thoroughly Modern Millie alongside Lesley Joseph, Elaine C Smith and Donna Steele.[22]

Her musical career includes albums and singles released by DJM Records and BBC labels.[23] Many tracks were arrangements by Peter Knight, some reaching international acclaim with songs such as Starting Again reaching the top 30 in the US chart and her collaboration with 80's icon Boy George, The Wishing Well becoming a top twenty hit in the UK.[24][25][26]

Luxury wedding and event designer

Kennedy founded and is the managing director of Grace Kennedy Events, a luxury wedding planning and event planning business which organises high end luxury/celebrity parties and weddings. The business is based in Mayfair, North Audley Street.[27] She transitioned into this field through the experience she acquired in organising her own concerts and stage events. After being approached by Toyota to sing and organise the production of six concerts to launch a new car in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, she continued by arranging further concerts and gala events for companies such as Renault, Tetra Pak, British Airways and Gillette. She then expanded her business by designing and organising luxury celebrity weddings and society events.[28] In June 2011, she organised the wedding of Vincent and Carla Kompany.[29]

In 2014, she was invited to present several awards at The Luxury Lifestyle Awards ceremony.[30][31]

In 2018, she launched The Luxurious Destination Collection as the signature brand of Grace Kennedy Events. The collection is a partnership with a network of luxury destinations in the world handpicked by Grace, like Blenheim Palace, the Mandarin Oriental, the Royal Mansour[32] and several discreet private islands, where the clients enjoy exclusive personal and bespoke options. There are three categories of destinations, In the Country (palaces, stately homes in places like Britain, the French Riviera, Lake Como Italy, the Spanish mountains), In the City (in Morocco, Dubai, Europe etc.), By the Sea (such as some private islands in the Caribbean, Maldive).[33][34][35]

Discography
  • Grace Kennedy (1979)
  • Desire (1979)
  • I'm Starting Again (1981)
  • One Voice (LP) (1981)

Personal life

Grace Kennedy has a daughter, Natalie, from her first marriage. Her second marriage was to entertainment lawyer and entrepreneur Nigel Angel in 1999. [36]

References
  1. Who's Who in Popular Music – Sheila Tracy (1984)
  2. "Opportunity Knocks, Episode 17 (4 April 1977)". IMDB.
  3. "Star Treatment - Grace Kennedy (15 January 1979)". IMDB.
  4. "Television Craft - Sound Supervisor in 1984". BAFTA. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  5. "Youtube – Grace Kennedy and Bruce Forsyth". YouTube.
  6. "Grace Kennedy Show". BBC. 15 February 1982.
  7. "Grace Kennedy Show". BBC. 8 February 1982.
  8. "Grace Kennedy Show". BBC. 16 February 1981.
  9. "Royal Variety Performance". BBC. 23 November 1980.
  10. "Live from Her Majesty's[18/03/84]". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018.
  11. "Live from Her Majesty's[06/10/85]". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018.
  12. "String Sound". BBC. 9 August 1981.
  13. "Saturday Night is Gala Night". BBC. 9 January 1982.
  14. "Home on Sunday". BBC. 15 July 1984.
  15. "Lena Zavaroni and Music". BBC. 30 May 1979.
  16. "The Good Old Days". BBC. 6 August 1980.
  17. "Des O'Connor Tonight". BBC. 1 December 1980.
  18. "The Les Dawson Show". BBC. 15 January 1983.
  19. "The Rod and Emu Show". BBC. 25 February 1984.
  20. "Grace Kennedy Broadway and Theatre Credits". BroadwayWorld.com.
  21. "Opera North present 'Carmen Jones', Birmingham Hippodrome". Birmingham Hippodrome Heritage.
  22. "Review: Thoroughly Modern Millie". BBC.
  23. "Grace Kennedy". Discogs.
  24. "Grace's World". Grace Kennedy Events.
  25. "Grace Kennedy". Billboard. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  26. "spanishcharts.com - Grace Kennedy - I'm Starting Again". spanishcharts.com. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  27. Fay Watson (June 2018). "Grace's World" (PDF). The Resident.
  28. "Grace Kennedy: From International Singer to Events Innovator". The Good Wedding Guide (April 2017). 6 September 2017.
  29. "Vincent & Carla Kompany's Fairy-tale Wedding". Grace Kennedy Events. 22 June 2011.
  30. "The Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2014". Grace Kennedy Events. 14 September 2014.
  31. "Luxury Lifestyle Awards 2015 ME to honour the best of luxury". Ame Info.
  32. "Luxury Royal Mansour Marrakesh".
  33. "Grace Kennedy launches signature brand The Luxurious Destination Collection". The Luxe Cafe.
  34. "Luxurious Destination Collection" (PDF). Your Mayfair. April 2018.
  35. "The Luxurious Destination Collection". The Good Property Guide. September–October 2017.
  36. "Hello Magazine".
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