kennedy b. jones

Shortly after graduation life took Kennedy to his current home in Cleveland, Ohio, where the real ministry began. After moving to Cleveland, God showed Kennedy that this was the place from which his ministry was to blossom.  The favor of God on his ministry has allowed Kennedy to minister in great places among great people, both Christian and secular.  Such places as Stockholm, Sweden, where he sang for the Prince and Princess of Sweden and recorded the title song for the live CD recorded at the Stockholm Gospel Festival entitled “Be of Good Courage”.  He has ministered in Norway at the Arjang Jazz Festival, in Lithuania at the Sing Jazz Festival; He has performed in Italy on an internationally televised show with Ana Oxo, who is billed as the “Whitney Houston of Italy.” He has traveled across Switzerland as a member and featured soloist with Leonard Burks and the Christmas Gospel Voices. In May of 2015 he traveled to Tokyo, Japan for “The Journey” Gospel Music Workshop, and in 2017 he was invited to Kampala, Uganda Africa as the lead Worship workshop clinician for the New Wine Church. In 2019 and 2024 Kennedy traveled back to Sweden ministering at numerous venues with Pastor Jay T. Hairston, II.

     

Kennedy is an award-winning singer, song writer, vocal coach and photographer. God’s favor has been evident right here in the U.S., allowing Kennedy to either open for, or minister with Gospel legends right here at home, including Yolanda Adams, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Bishop Rance Allen, Amy Grant and others.  Kennedy was the grand prize winner at the Grammy’s Symposium Song Competition, held in Washington, D.C., where the judges were such greats as Richard Smallwood, Byron Cage and Maurette Brown-Clark.  The very next year he participated in The Seminar in the Rockies, held in the Denver, Co. area by the Gospel Music Association (GMA).  Kennedy not only won first place in the singing and first place in the song writing competitions, but he also won Grand Prize for both categories, leaving only the instrumental category that he did not win.  The only other person to do that in the 30 plus year history of GMA is the incomparable Babbie Mason, with whom he has since become personal friends.  This competition featured singers/song writers from over thirty (30) states and four (4) countries.  He was then interviewed on Korean radio because of this colossal achievement. He was also the 4th runner up at the Stellar Awards regional song competition held in Chicago, IL.

 

Kennedy has performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, at Cleveland's famed Severance Hall, at the Victoria Theater in Geneva, Switzerland, and at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY. In June of 2023, Kennedy was a featured soloist at the world-renowned Carnegie Hall in New York City, in their celebration of 40 years of music there.  He performed under the direction of Dr. Clark Joseph along with the South Dallas Gospel Choir and other entities from the Dallas metroplex area

 

Kennedy also is a favorite singer of the National Anthem for all the Cleveland professional sports teams. Kennedy performed the National Anthem for the Cleveland Cavaliers during their 2016 Championship season.  In 2019, he was selected to sing the Anthem for the Major League Baseball All-Star game, which was televised on ESPN and viewed by millions of fans around the world. He was invited to Ontario, Canada to sing the Canadian National Anthem as well as the American National Anthem as they celebrated the Ontario Police Memorial Foundation 20th Annual Ceremony of Remembrance. Kennedy is a member and featured soloist of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship Super Mass Choir. He has conducted workshops around the world and directed choirs as large as 250 voices.  Besides being a featured soloist on numerous projects, including the Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA) and the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, God has also blessed in that He has allowed Kennedy to record three CDs of his own; “Call to Worship”,  “Christmas with Kennedy” and his latest project, "You Are God".  There is more on the horizon.

 

 

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Kennedy is also a husband and father and made a living as a police officer for the city of Cleveland until his retirement in 2018 after 25 years of service.  He was recently featured in an exhibit at the Cleveland Police Officer’s Museum called “Cops Rock”, featuring members of the Cleveland Police Department who also perform various genres of music.