Kenny Clayton

Who is Kenny Clayton?

Kenny Clayton is a British music producer, arranger, conductor and jazz pianist.

Clayton studied piano at the Trinity College of Music in London. In the late 1950s, by the age of twenty-one, Clayton firmly established himself as a working pianist and accompanied Alma Cogan and Terry Dene on a tour of the Empire Theatres, as well as working in cabaret with Shani Wallis, Jeannie Carson, Libby Morris, and Joan Turner.

Having achieved success on the popular UK variety circuit, Clayton was quickly signed to EMI/Parlophone and released his first single, "Tenerife," which he introduced on the British TV music series Thank Your Lucky Stars. He also was responsible for the wonderful arrangements of Carlo Dini's "Two people " which was written by Don Black and was released on Parlophone. Throughout the 1960s and 70s he was musical director and arranger for a number of popular singers, including Dick Haymes, Shirley Bassey, Matt Monro, Robin Gibb, Cilla Black, Charles Aznavour, Sacha Distel, and Roger Whittaker. He was Petula Clark's musical director and arranger from 1962 until 2005, and also performs with his jazz/swing Kenny Clayton Trio.