| James Kennedy | |
| Birth Date: | 1980 3, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Cardiff, Wales |
| Years Active: | 2002–present |
| Associated Acts: | Kyshera |
| Label: | Konic Records |
James Kennedy (born 15 March 1980) is a Welsh rock solo artist, author and podcaster.[1] He was formerly the singer & guitarist in the Alternative Rock band Kyshera[2] until they disbanded in 2018[3] and now fronts the band James Kennedy & The Underdogs.[4] Kennedy has released eight albums since 2010, including three with Kyshera and five solo releases[5] with his latest being 'Make Anger Great Again', released in 2020 by Konic Records.[6] Also in 2020, Kennedy's autobiography 'Noise Damage' was published by Eye Lightning Books[7] which peaked at Number One on Amazon.[8]
In 2022, Kennedy began hosting The James Kennedy Podcast, a weekly podcast where he interviews musicians, activists, politicians and authors.[9] Previous guests include Stella Assange, Frank Turner, James Watt of Brewdog, Bob Roth, Rou Reynolds, Greg Palast, Nadia Whittome and Lee Camp among others.
At the age of ten, Kennedy was diagnosed with advanced bilateral cholesteatoma, a destructive expanding growth in both of his middle ears which required 3 major ear operations. As a result of the surgery, Kennedy lost 40% of his hearing in both ears and developed constant white noise Tinnitus in his left ear.[10] Kennedy was included in a poll of the Top 50 Sexiest Men in Wales along with Tom Ellis, Kelly Jones and Jamie Roberts.[11] In 2013 he won a court case against the record label 'Rising Records' over the release of the Kyshera album 'Made in China'.[12] He frequently receives online trolling from people mistaking him for James Kennedy from the US reality show Vanderpump Rules.[13] He was one of several artists who gave evidence at a 2022 hearing at the House of Lords about the difficulties for UK artists to tour in Europe post-Brexit.[14] and in November 2022, he alleges that he was physically assaulted by three plain-clothed police officers whilst sitting in his car, resulting in an ongoing investigation which the South Wales Police have said they are taking "extremely seriously".[15]