Joyce Kennedy, nicked "Baby Jean" (born 1948 in Anguilla, Mississippi) is an American singer raised in Chicago.
At age 7 Kennedy moved to Chicago with her mother. This is where she began her singing career. In 1963, Joyce released her first single. With the help of Andre Williams, she recorded her first song for Ran-Dee Records. The song Darling I Still Love You became a local hit, which inspired her to further pursue her singing career.
Kennedy met Glenn Murdock, formerly of The Vondells and they started to perform together as a duo they would form what is considered to be the original black rock band: Mother's Finest. They recruited Gary Moore and Jerry Seay on guitar and bass, respectively. Mother's Finest was initially signed with RCA but eventually landed at Epic Records, where their third, fourth, and fifth albums were certified gold. They opened for the likes of Ted Nugent, Black Sabbath, The Who, Aerosmith, and AC/DC. The band would go on to sign with Atlantic Records, taking a break after their 1981 album Iron Age while Joyce pursued a solo career.
Mother’s Finest was known for their interactive and lively performances as well as their progressive music. This led to them being successful in their own way and touring across the world. The band is also known as “a very tough act to follow on stage” due to their engaging live shows. This is considered to apply even for very popular bands such as those mentioned above or Santana or Earth, Wind & Fire.
In 1984, the band broke up, and Kennedy signed with A&M Records. Lookin' for Trouble was her debut with A&M. Along with that single, she released the singles Stronger Than Before and The Last Time I Made Love, which was a duet with Jeffrey Osborne. The Last Time I Made Love was her most successful single, reaching number 2 on the R&B charts and number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. Kennedy said the record label tried to have her music appeal to a "predominately black" audience.
Despite going on a "farewell" tour with Mother's Finest in 2017, proclaiming that she would stop touring with Mother's Finest, Joyce Kennedy still tours with the band regularly and will embark on a 50 year anniversary tour in 2021.
