Jimmy Kennedy, Songwriter

James "Jimmy" Kennedy was a prolific songwriter.  He wrote over 2,000 songs, 200 of which became worldwide hits.  He was born in Omagh, Northern Ireland on 20th July 1902.  He grew up in the village of Coagh in County Tyrone, where he was inspired by the countryside to write several songs and poems.  He graduated from Trinity College in Dublin in 1925.  He then moved to England to teach French at a school in Shaftesbury.  

In 1927 Jimmy Kennedy became a civil servant in the Colonial Service, but he decided he would rather make a career of songwriting.  In 1930 he had success with The Barmaid's Song, which was sung by Gracie Fields.  He started to work for Bert Feldman, a London based music producer.  He wrote the lyrics for a number of successful songs in the 1930s: Oh Donna Clara (1930), My Song goes round the World (1931) and Teddy Bears Picnic (1933), Isle of Capri (1934), Red Sails in the Sunset (1935), Harbour Lights (1937) and South of the Border  (1939).  The tune for Teddy Bears Picnic had been written in 1907 by John Walter Bratton.  He also collaborated with composer Michael Carr on several West End shows in the late 1930s.

In 1932 Jimmy Kennedy married Margaret Elizabeth Winifred (Peggy) Galpin.  Their son Derek was born in 1935 and their daughter Janet was born in 1937.

During the Second World War, Jimmy Kennedy served in the Royal Artillery and was promoted to the rank of Captain. In 1939 he wrote We're gonna hang out the washing on the Siegfried Line to a tune composed by Michael Carr.  He had a hit with Cokey Cokey (now more usually known as The Hokey Cokey) in 1945.  

Jimmy divorced Margaret in 1946 and married the actress and singer Constance Carpenter later the same year.  They moved to the USA, where they lived for some years.  He wrote Apple Blossom Wedding (1947), Istanbul (not Constantinople) (1953) and Love is like a Violin (1960). 

In 1960 Kennedy moved to Switzerland.  He moved back to Ireland in the 1970s and lived in Greystones, County Wicklow.  He divorced Constance in 1972 and in 1976 he married Elaine Edith Bradbury Pobjoy.  They lived in Broadway, Worcestershire 

Jimmy Kennedy died in Cheltenham on 6th April 1984.  He was buried in the churchyard of St John's Church in Staplegrove, Taunton.  Jimmy's parents moved to Staplegrove Elm in 1949 and lived there for many years.  Staplegrove Elm is now part of the Nuffield Hospital.

Jimmy Kennedy's gravestone in St John's Churchyard, Staplegrove

Staplegrove Elm