Legendary American gospel singer and worship leader Ron Kenoly has died at the age of 81, confirmed by his music director Bruno Miranda. Kenoly’s influence stretched across 123 nations over 48 years of ministry. His songs became fixtures in churches around the world. “Ancient of Days”, “Let There Be Praise”, “Whose Report Shall We Believe”, “Jesus Is Alive”, and “Lift Him Up” rang out in congregations from California to Nigeria. He won the GMA Dove Award for Praise and Worship Album of the Year in 1997 for ‘Welcome Home’.
Born December 6, 1944 in Coffeyville, Kansas, Kenoly grew up singing at a Baptist church in his hometown. He served in the United States Air Force from 1965 to 1968, performing in a top 40 cover band called The Mellow Fellows. After the military, he pursued secular music, singing demos of Jimmy Webb songs and releasing R&B tracks for A&M Records under the stage name Ron Keith. He and Candy Rae signed to George Semper’s Inner City label in 1972. Their single “Lovely Weekend” sold nearly 200,000 copies. But by the late 1970s, Kenoly left secular music behind and spent four years trying to land a gospel record deal.
His first Christian album ‘You Ought to Listen to This’ arrived in 1983. Two years later, he became worship leader at Jubilee Christian Center in San Jose, California. The breakthrough came in 1992 when ‘Lift Him Up’ became the fastest selling worship album to that point. Released through Integrity Music, the record established Kenoly as a defining voice in contemporary Christian worship. ‘Welcome Home’, produced by Tom Brooks, topped Billboard’s contemporary worship chart. Kenoly held multiple degrees including a Doctorate of Ministry in sacred music. He moved to central Florida in 1999 and spent the rest of his life traveling, teaching, and recording.
Miranda, who worked alongside Kenoly for over 20 years, wrote that the worship leader was “very intentional about one thing: he was not an artist, never an entertainer. He was a worship leader. And he would take all the time necessary to explain what that truly meant. A worship leader’s calling is not to perform songs, but to lead people into true worship in the presence of a King; the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.” Kenoly was particularly beloved in Africa, especially Nigeria, where his ministry helped spark the renaissance of English language gospel music in the late nineties and influenced artists like Sammy Okposo, Cobham, and Sinach.
Nigeria Bishop WaLe Oke called Kenoly “a man of humility, a vessel of grace, and a true worshipper who gave his life to the glory of God.” Gospel artists Nathaniel Bassey and Dunsin Oyekan paid tribute to the legend. Just two days before his death, Kenoly posted on Instagram thanking the people who helped him reach over 123 nations. “I am 81 and in my 48th year of ministry,” he wrote. Kenoly was married to Tavita for 42 years and had three sons: Samuel, Ronald, and Tony. He married Diana, a United Nations Ambassador, on November 24, 2014. His cousin is actor Don Cheadle. Miranda wrote that “today we grieve deeply but not without hope. The worship he lived is now the worship he beholds.”