Kenny Loggins recounts Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, and musical adventure ‘at the movies’ in breezy new memoir
Kenny Loggins‘ new autobiography Still Alright: A Memoir is out today from Hachette Books. Kenny writes about his prolific, 40+ years in music, including his massive solo career, which he initially feared was on the rocks until the one-and-only Stevie Nicks came along to save the day.
In the memoir, Kenny looks back on his long music career, highlighted by a successful run in the ’70s duo Loggins & Messina and blockbuster solo career in the ’80s, which produced the iconic and enduring movie hits “I’m Alright” (from Caddyshack), “Footloose” (from Footloose), “Danger Zone” (from Top Gun).
The singer-songwriter embraces his current status as a self-dubbed “legacy act,” which still sells out thousands of theater seats on a regular basis. He also takes his role in the “yacht rock” phenomenon — light, breezy, and melodic music from the ’70s and ’80s that might be heard while sailing on said yacht — in stride. He argues, “at the very least, [it] helped introduce our music to a new generation,” inspiring podcasts and other related discussion around his soundtrack hits and more.
Stevie Nicks’ generosity spared me from falling off the map.
Most importantly for Stevie Nicks fans, Kenny devotes several pages to opening for Fleetwood Mac during their 1977 Rumours tour. He spills the tea on Fleetwood Mac’s notorious party excesses, which, of course, has been well-documented in media and retrospective documentaries since then. Having lived through the rock-and-roll decadence and debauchery firsthand with the band, Kenny corroborates, “I’m here to tell you they’re not exaggerated.” He was also a willing participant, as “there was cocaine everywhere,” he writes in the book. “I can’t pretend that I didn’t partake. It was almost impossible not to.”
Kenny also remembers the “Stevie-ites,” or the female friends and groupies, who accompanied Stevie everywhere, giving him “the impression of a buffet table of delicious possibilities.” Despite the alluring nature of the entourage, he says “they were simply Stevie’s traveling companions, there for her emotional support.”
The Grammy-award-winning artist credits Stevie for saving his solo career, notably for working with her on their Billboard Top 5 duet “Whenever I Call You Friend.” After his debut album Celebrate Me Home (released just a few months after Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours in April 1977) received harsh critiques from some music critics, the hit single instantly changed the critical narrative, leading to a string of Top 40 singles. “I always say that I have Stevie and [“Whenever I Call You Friend”] to thank for breaking me through as a solo artist,” Kenny explains with gratitude. “So many musicians emerge from duos or bands and immediately fall off the map; Stevie’s generosity spared me from that.”
Still Alright is available now digitally and in hardcover. Revisit some of Kenny Loggins’ vast music catalog below.
