Kenny O'Dell

Best known for writing the country landmark "Behind Closed Doors," Kenny O'Dell also enjoyed some success on the pop charts as a solo performer. Born Kenny Gist, Jr. in Antlers, OK, in 1946, he was raised in Santa Maria, CA, scoring his first regional hit in 1963 with "Old Time Love." After a stint with the band Guys & Dolls, O'Dell in 1967 signed as a solo act to the White Whale label's Vegas subsidiary, releasing his debut LP, Beautiful People; the title cut was a Top 40 hit, although its chart momentum was curtailed by a copycat version recorded by the better-known Bobby Vee. The follow-up single, "Springfield Plane," cracked the Hot 100, and in 1968 O'Dell's composition "Next Plane to London" found its way to folk-rockers the Rose Garden via Pat Pipolo, his cousin and the group's co-producer. The result was a Top 20 hit, and O'Dell also contributed the Rose Garden's second single, "If My World Falls Through." After Vegas folded, he moved to White Whale for several little-noticed singles, including "No Obligations" and "Groovy Relationship." With the label's demise imminent, in 1970 O'Dell relocated to Nashville to head Bobby Goldsboro's publishing firm House of Gold. After authoring a handful of minor hits including Sandy Posey's "Why Don't We Go Somewhere and Love?," O'Dell scored his commercial breakthrough with "I Take It on Home," a Top Ten country hit for Charlie Rich in 1972. The following year, Rich cut his superlative "Behind Closed Doors," which not only topped the country charts during its 40-week run but also cracked the pop Top 20 on its way to winning the Grammy for Best Country Song. The attendant publicity earned O'Dell a solo deal with Capricorn, highlighted by the 1975 Top 40 hit "My Honky Tonk Ways" and 1978's Top Ten entry "Let's Shake Hands and...