#267 Kenny Nolan
🎄 Christmas Special: Songwriter Trysts with Rae Leigh ft. Kenny Nolan 🎄
This Christmas, Songwriter Trysts with Rae Leigh delivers a truly iconic episode, welcoming legendary songwriter Kenny Nolan — the hitmaker behind timeless classics “I Like Dreamin’,” “My Eyes Adored You,” and the global anthem “Lady Marmalade.”
In this festive and deeply personal conversation, Kenny Nolan takes listeners behind the songs that shaped generations, sharing incredible stories from his career writing chart-topping hits that became part of music history. From crafting unforgettable melodies to navigating the highs and challenges of the music industry, this episode is packed with rare insights, heart, humour, and holiday warmth.
Host Rae Leigh dives into Kenny’s creative process, the magic of collaboration, and the moments that turned simple ideas into songs still loved decades later. Whether you’re a songwriter, music lover, or simply looking for something inspiring to listen to over the Christmas break, this episode is a must-hear.
✨ Perfect for fans of songwriting, classic hits, music history, and Christmas listening
✨ Exclusive stories you won’t hear anywhere else
Press play, pour a drink, and unwrap this special holiday episode of Songwriter Trysts — where legendary songs meet unforgettable stories.
Connect with his new single Jing Jang Jingle.
Transcript
Kenny Nolan
Rae Leigh: welcome to a songwriter of Trysts with Kenny Nolan. Hit songwriter of Lady Marmalade and I like dreaming, but also new song come out, Jing Jang Jingle, which I'm excited to talk to you about because this is our Christmas special for 2025,
Merry Christmas. How are you?
I can see you. Can you see me
Kenny Nolan: okay?
Rae Leigh: Yeah, I can see you.
Kenny Nolan: Okay.
Rae Leigh: Would you like to see yourself?
Kenny Nolan: I like to start the podcast by getting you the artist to tell us a little bit about who you are and where you come from.
Who I am. I ask myself that all the time.
Rae Leigh: Me too.
Kenny Nolan: I've always been into music. I started when I was 16, 17, and, I was lucky enough to I was Michael Curb, you, me, you know who Mike Curb is? No, he's he was the president of MGM Records.
Back in the mid sixties. I was 17 or 16 or something and he heard me and he signed me.
Rae Leigh: Wow.
Kenny Nolan: Had a publishing deal with him and an artist deal. And in that timeframe he put a bunch of my songs in albumsremember the grassroots? Yeah. They did a song of mine on Leaving It All Behind album.
Rae Leigh: Oh wow.
Kenny Nolan: And then Donny Osmond
Did a song. And then Doby Gray, he did a song of mine and things kept happening.
And in 19 74, I met Bob Crew. Do you know who Bob Crew is?
Rae Leigh: I've heard that name before.
Kenny Nolan: he co-wrote with Bob Gaudio all the Four Seasons hits.
Rae Leigh: Wow.
Yeah, I'd love to know
Kenny Nolan: I met Bob Crew through Bobby. Darren, remember Bobby? Darren.
Rae Leigh: I'm terrible with names. I'm better with songs, he was
Kenny Nolan: big back in the early seventies.
Rae Leigh: I was born in 88, so anything prior to that.
I might not be aware of. But the listeners might
Kenny Nolan: We wrote I'm gonna give you your, I think your people that are listening to you will enjoy some of these stories. One morning, one day I was, it's 1974, and on the sides of buses driving around the city was a Rolling Stones tour.
It called Get your Yay Yas out.
Rae Leigh: Yep.
Kenny Nolan: Did you remember that?
Rae Leigh: I've heard that one. Yeah.
Kenny Nolan: They're talking about getting high, jumping up and down, getting wild.
But I said no, there's something else in that. I said a prostitute walking down in New Orleans would say
Get your Yaya here. And it went from there into Lady Marmalade, which now is one of the biggest songs of all time. It's top three and was number one three times by three separate artists.
Rae Leigh: Crazy.
Kenny Nolan: And then I wrote, I brought in a song called my Eyes the Door. You, I'm sure you know that one.
Frankie Val.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. And
Kenny Nolan: when my eyes heard you, it's massive scene. And then it started things. I had a disco number, one disco record called Get Dancing. Do you remember Get Dancing? Yeah. Disco text. That's me singing.
Rae Leigh: Yeah. All that stuff.
Kenny Nolan: And then I had a top five r and B hit.
Back 75 by Jimmy Gilstrap called Swing Your Daddy and it went swing your daddy bop. Anyway, things kept moving along and I got signed
I flew back east to cut. I like dreaming, I like dreaming.
Rae Leigh: I've definitely heard that one. Yeah.
Kenny Nolan: And that got me the pop Artist of the Year Award and Billboard.
Rae Leigh: Wow.
Kenny Nolan: And I had the follow up was really big too. Called Love's Grown Deep, which is a beautiful song. And then I moved on and I met the, this did that.
I'm forgetting a lot of things that I did. I met, reed and Babyface. You know who they are?
Rae Leigh: Yes. How did you meet them?
Kenny Nolan: Through Dick Griffey, who was the head of Solo Records back in 87.
Rae Leigh: Wow.
Kenny Nolan: And I brought in a song called Shoot 'em Up movies, which was a top five hit.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Kenny Nolan: Bang, bang. Got you. Shoot 'em up movies.
You remember that one?
Rae Leigh: Yeah. I've heard and I didn't know that you were behind a lot of these songs I'm curious, so you said that you've always done music. You started when you were 16. did you do music lessons or theory before that?
Kenny Nolan: No, not before. I, after 1617, I was already in groups and doing things. Then I had an almost a number one record. Remember? Atlantic Star?
Rae Leigh: I wrote I found a masterpiece in you.
Wow. I worked well.
Kenny Nolan: That's true.
Rae Leigh: I wrote
Kenny Nolan: that for them. That was almost a number one record.
And Ava, a penny for your thoughts. A nickel for a kiss, a dime. If you tell me that's your, so yeah, you bust some incredible lyrics. My whole thing is really writing songs. And the singing now just comes with it. I have a new album out that's been out about two months called Peaceful Mountain.
Rae Leigh: Yeah,
Kenny Nolan: do you know, have you heard it?
Rae Leigh: Yeah, I got it through all the press release in the EPK, but I'm keen to hear about what the goal behind it was, what the feelings and the motive behind it. It's very
Kenny Nolan: inspirational music, friendship, warmth. There's some songs on there that are to God.
There's a couple of songs on there that I'm sure if you listen to, you're gonna love one called In Every Way. And then another one that's getting some on some Christian stations called may You A Blessing. And then there's closer than my shadow, which is more mainstream, and be a friend. And the new Christmas single that was just released.
Jean Jang Jingo. Yep.
that was a fun record because I had the tracks cut in Nashville and I owned the tracks. the tracks were sent back here and I put my voice on it and boom, that was it. They heard it and said, we've gotta put this out. Ha. So have you heard it?
Rae Leigh: Yes. Yeah. Yeah, I have heard it.
That was the main reason they sent it to me.
Kenny Nolan: now we can talk about that if you want.
Rae Leigh: What was the inspiration behind the Jing Jane J
Kenny Nolan: I've written a number of Christmas songs. I worked on New Kids on the Block. I co-wrote a song with Maurice Starcalled? I'll Be Missing You Come Christmas, A Letter to Santa.
Do you remember that?
Rae Leigh: Yeah, I've heard all those songs.
I'm curious as to, obviously you've had a lot of connections and you've connected with so many people in the industry that have brought you into these spaces, but your lyrics are.
They're inspired, but they're also so different to what I hear. I'm listening to a really wide eclectic of music in general because I listen to a lot of new stuff that comes through for this podcast and because I'm always wanting to keep my fingers on the pulse, but I don't often see a lot of lyric writing the way that you do it.
Kenny Nolan: Really?
Rae Leigh: I feel like, I don't know. Do you feel like you're doing the same as everyone else? Because I don't think you do.
Kenny Nolan: I don't do anything that anybody else does. I just write what I do. What comes to me?
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Kenny Nolan: I'm a title writer.
I'll start with a title like, my Eyes Adored You,
Has been performed millions of times.
there was a bunch of songs on the radio about the night the lights went out in Georgia midnight Train to Georgia. All these Georgia songs. So I said to myself, I have to write a song with Georgia in it.
I went through a book of Broadway musicals. And there was a title in there that had Georgia in it, blue Eyes in Georgia. based on that title, the same way marmalade happened
I picked my guitar up and when I have a title and a lyric in mind, The melody just happens.
Rae Leigh: That's a natural thing it just happens.
Kenny Nolan: So I strum a guitar,
and that's how that happened. same as all my other songs there was a song I had a hit with called Firefly. Hey, their little Firefly. And. Lulu hits remember Lulu?
Rae Leigh: No, it was Lulu.
Kenny Nolan: But she was big star in the seventies and the sixties. Then I'm forgetting so many songs, but anyway, yeah.
you
Rae Leigh: start with the title and then the melody is natural for you. It just comes. How do you structure it? Do you start with just beginning to end and just keep playing it over and over until the lyrics feel right
Kenny Nolan: Yeah if it hits me right off the bat, when I did Jing Jang jingle, I, what was the guitar?
And I Ping Jang jingle and a Jang and that just spilled outta me. And then I wrote the rest of the song I'm anxious to see people's reaction to it because it's a fun song. It's happy,
Rae Leigh: it is a happy, fun song and it's beautiful.
I think we need that at the moment. There's so much negativity in the world and when there is, it's nice to have music that can just distract us from all of that and we can have a bit of fun. you've talked about. Jing. JJ that was a solo write just came out of you.
do you prefer to write on your own? You've had a lot of experience writing with people?
Kenny Nolan: No I write 99% now. It's a hundred percent on my own. All the songs on the new album. peaceful Mountain album.
Are solely written by me, Jing Jang jingle and, there's just a lot of stuff out there on Spotify and YouTube
It's all over the place right now. So peop I'm getting very favorable reaction to the album and to the, this Jing Jang jingle single Jing Jang jingle. Single.
Rae Leigh: It's a bit of a tongue twister and I've got a lisp, so this is a good challenge for me. We should get people to send in them saying it to see if they can say it five times fast
Writing with someone versus writing on your own. Now that you're doing a lot on your own, do you prefer it that way? Have you just got to a point where you just wanna be able to write your own songs? Or do you like collaborating with other people?
Kenny Nolan: Not as much as I used to.
And I, when I ran into Robert Crew, B Bob crew, he was special. He did all the poor season songs. You are just too good to be true. Can't take my eyes off of you. And he heard me and he said, that's it. He said, we have to write.
And we sat down and I brought in a. Booklet of titles and songs and we went at it and that was the beginning of the beginning.
Rae Leigh: Wow.
I'm curious about the album. You said there's a lot of Christian faith inspired stuff behind the songs and I've written a few songs like that my parents were pastors, so I grew up as the pastor's kid in the church. I think that's an elusive thing I haven't spoken to a lot of people about.
If you are willing to share your experience of your faith in your music and how you express that. it's a vulnerable thing to do.
Kenny Nolan: I've always loved
the church. I've always loved the music. about eight years ago I wrote a song called I'll Be That Bridge,
and it's gonna be on the next album.
It's a beautiful song. It's not on the old Peaceful Mountain album, but if you listen to the songs, listen to them all, because there's a song on there that I believe can be up for a Grammy.
Rae Leigh: It's called
Kenny Nolan: you to me.
Rae Leigh: You to me, and
Kenny Nolan: you to me.
Be a friend. That's another one in every way.
May you a blessing.
Oh, peaceful amount. be a friend. I said that right?
Rae Leigh: You said be a friend.
Kenny Nolan: Yeah.
Rae Leigh: Listen, who knows?
Kenny Nolan: They're out right now as singles.
On Spotify, YouTube, Ghana, this, that, you name it.
And getting very favorable reaction to them because they're special. They're really special.
Rae Leigh: So what makes 'em special for you sometimes I've written songs where I think they're just, and maybe they're selfish, but for me, they'd be like, okay, these songs are just for me.
And then I go, actually, I feel like this is a song that really needs to be released for whatever reason. Sometimes I think songs are just for one other person, and sometimes they're for, millions of other people. It's for whoever the song reaches.
How do you decipher between the songs that you want to release into the world, and what's that experience and process for you?
Kenny Nolan: I usually go for the ones that I think are really good and that people can. Commit to and really say Jesus. some of these songs are on that Peaceful Mountain album and I just write from the heart, that's all I can say I write from the heart. So that's me, Kennedy, Nolan, and
Rae Leigh: for the heart.
Kenny Nolan: Right from the heart, And I don't worry about it sounding dated.
I just write from the heart. And it works.
Rae Leigh: Do you share them with people before? Do you have that filtering process or do you know which ones are really purely from the heart that you're gonna release?
Kenny Nolan: Oh I already know.
I had a studio. For 15 years. my son Brett Nolan, produced the album
Rae Leigh: A
Kenny Nolan: Piece of Mountain. He's brilliant, and co-produced Jing Jang jingle.
Rae Leigh: Brett? So he's quite a good producer then? Yes, he is. Tell 'em well done from me. It's really, they're all really good.
Kenny Nolan: I just love music. I was weaned on, in the air mid sixties, early sixties. I was what, 12?
I was weaned on Motown and the Beatles.
Rae Leigh: You can't ask for much of a better education.
Okay. You've had a lot of experience in the industry. What have been some of the most challenging times for you? those moments where maybe other people would've quit but you didn't? Because
Kenny Nolan: this is the only thing I wanted to do, and I knew that I had something.
When I auditioned for a guy named Joe Cino, who was Liberty Records, and he said, you got it. He says, and they did a bunch of my songs. I've had a lot of hits.
And I love it just as much now as I did when I was. 23, 24 when get dancing, lady marmalade, my eyes adore you. I like dreaming. All these songs started to come out.
it's a love that I have and it's something I was supposed to do. And it's been my soul
business and life.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Kenny Nolan: To write. And sometimes sing.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Kenny Nolan: Oh, I love the singing part. 'cause these were all songs that I was singing before they were even out.
Rae Leigh: Yeah.
Kenny Nolan: Theme at Mom lot down in New Orleans.
Rae Leigh: Do you still like listening to your own songs?
Kenny Nolan: Do I what?
Rae Leigh: Do you enjoy going back and listening to your songs?
Kenny Nolan: I hear them all the time on the radio. Yes I do. I enjoy that. And I worked with a number of people I think one of the greatest. Singers I ever worked with Al Giro
You know who Alger?
Rae Leigh: No. You don't
Kenny Nolan: know who he is?
Rae Leigh: I'm in Australia. I'm gonna look it up.
Kenny Nolan: please look up Alro. He's a phenomenal singer. And we wrote some things together.
I wrote with A lot of people, but I do not find that I get better songs out of collaborating.
Rae Leigh: And you've worked that out now, so you don't,
Kenny Nolan: by the way, I'm nominated for the songwriters Hall of Fame.
Rae Leigh: Oh, congratulations. That's incredible.
When does that happen?
Kenny Nolan: next, year, but I've been notified and I hope to be inducted I've had enough hits where they wanna do it,
Rae Leigh: Fair enough. that's an amazing achievement, by the way.
Congratulations. And I couldn't think of someone more deserving. I do wanna ask, what your advice would be for other songwriters who maybe relate to what you've done and achieved in your lifetime.
What sort of encouragement or advice would you give to them?
Kenny Nolan: One of the first things that I learned from Bob Crew, don't do this for the money.
Do it for the inspiration, the love of writing, the love of music,
that's why I stuck with it. I've always been able to get through and make, now I, of course my living today is much greater than it was when I was younger. Lady Marmaladeis the lead song in Moulin Rouge.
Rae Leigh: I love that film.
Kenny Nolan: You're from Australia, right?
Rae Leigh: Yes. I was in his Elvis film actually.
He filmed the Elvis film just down the road from me, so I got to be a part of that. I auditioned as one of the singers, but I was too tall, so I got to be an Elvis kisser.
Kenny Nolan: Baz based the whole thing on Lady Marmalade. Yeah. And put together a Christine Aguilar, may, little Kim and Pink.
Rae Leigh: Did you meet Baz? Did he ever.
Kenny Nolan: I met Christine up at a record company before they did that version of it. But I was friends. I'm still friends with Ron Fard. You know who he is?
Rae Leigh: No. Who's Ron?
Kenny Nolan: He was part of the production team on Moulin Rouge.
And all I know is I got a call from him one day.
He said, it's all over Kenny. And I know, what the hell are you talking about? It's all over. He goes, we just did Lady Marmalade. He says, it is definitely a number one record. He was right. It was number one. Nine weeks here.
Rae Leigh: Eight weeks. He was number one here too.
Kenny Nolan: And the original I still say is incredible LaBelle.
But, who else had a number one hit with that before Moulin Rouge It's a girl group from England. it was a number one record.
Rae Leigh: before
Kenny Nolan: It was a number one record through Patti LaBelle.
When the four girls got together and did it, so I have a good catalog.
Rae Leigh: No, you've done very well. You should be very proud. we were talking about advice for people in the industry to not do it for the money, do it for the love of it. Keep going. Be passionate.
Kenny Nolan: Don't give it up. If you truly, love it and have the talent you'll stay with it until something pops that's how it worked for me. The first real hit I had was Dreaming again by pat Shannon. But the grassroots covered it
then things started to fall into place. now, I'm hoping, to get into the songwriters Hall of Fame, I've been nominated.
Rae Leigh: I couldn't think of anyone more deserving. I hope it's just a formality and that it's approved because you're in the songwriters Hall of Fame, that's for sure.
One question I like to end with and this is more about who your inspirations are, but if you could collaborate or you could have an artist sing one of your songs, anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Kenny Nolan: That's tough. There's a lot of good artists. There's a couple of artists today that I think are really good.
I keep forgetting his name. But anyway, there's a lot of artists out there that have great voices. But the problems that I see is that they're doing a lot of mediocre material. It, you know what endures, is how people see it. Those early copyrights of mine are gonna be mine again.
Sony will no longer have any part of it. Why can't I remember the girl group that had a number one hit with lady marmalade?
Rae Leigh: It
Kenny Nolan: not in sync?
Rae Leigh: No, that's what's the other, that's not a girl group.
No. It's not in sync. It's oh, Jesus. They had a number one hit with Lady marmalade.
All Saints. Yeah. Thank
Kenny Nolan: you. That is driving
Rae Leigh: me nuts. That's okay. they were massive as well.
Kenny Nolan: They went number one with it.
Rae Leigh: They had quite a few number ones. Yeah. Very popular. So you're saying that the songs that endure, and you feel like people are doing mediocre quality.
Now I have a theory around that. Do you have a theory on why are people putting out mediocre material? Why is the good stuff not getting to the right people?
Kenny Nolan: I'll tell you why. The convenience of recording today, the fact that. You can press buttons and do this and not really come from the heart and soul of music.
It's far and few between songs that become classics. And I know I'm a friend of Diane Warren's. You know who she is?
Rae Leigh: I do know who Diane Warren is.
Kenny Nolan: And
Rae Leigh: what does she say?
Kenny Nolan: she writes from the heart, I believe, and I write from the heart.
When it comes to me, it comes to me.
all these new songs on my new album. just came to me I had some of them produced in Nashville and flown back here and I put my voice on it. Now I'm getting very favorable reviews on it.
Rae Leigh: Yes.
Kenny Nolan: some of the songs are. Listen to it.
Rae Leigh: Yeah,
Kenny Nolan: I think you're gonna love it.
Rae Leigh: I've got a new house that overlooks the mountains and I'm thinking about taking more time to just let it seep in as I look at the view.
Kenny Nolan: And I'm starting some new songs
at the beginning of next year. I may put a Christmas album together and that's one of
Rae Leigh: my dreams. I haven't done it yet, but I think Christmas music is, so beautiful.
Kenny Nolan: It's Johnny Mathis. I grew up with that.
And I think
Jean J and Jingles falls into that category.
Rae Leigh: Yep. we're gonna get everyone to listen to it and wish everyone a merry Christmas especially to you and your family. And Brett, thank you so much for helping with getting this all up and running. And. Kenny, I just wanna say thank you so much for not just your time today, but your dedication and commitment to everything you've done
it's encouraging to see that someone like yourself, who lives from the heart, right from the heart, has continued to do so in such a vulnerable way and survived because it can feel like when you're putting yourself out there vulnerably and writing from the heart. That it's gonna kill you at some point.
I feel like that sometimes. And to know that, you've survived, you're still here, you keep going. It really is inspirational and you should be congratulated. I really do wish you all the luck with the Hall of Fame and hopefully I'll be seeing some more of your songs at the Grammy Awards in the near future.
Yeah,
Kenny Nolan: that would be great. This was a pleasure. thank you. Absolutely
Rae Leigh: pleasure. Thank you so much for coming on and yeah, I hope everyone goes and listens to the new Jing Jang jingle and has a merry, Merry Christmas. Thank you. All right. Thank you.
Kenny Nolan: Bye-bye.
