Day 10 of 10 Album Challenge

Day 10 of 10 Album Challenge: Hai Ku by Kennedy Rose.

Hai Ku was released in 1989 by the duo Kennedy Rose -- two of the most awesome songwriters and musicians - Mary Ann Kennedy and Pam Rose.

Chances are, you’ve never heard of this album nor the artists/writers, but you've probably heard a lot of the songs they've written. As songwriters, they’ve written big hits for big country stars like Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, Lee Greenwood, Crystal Gayle, and Restless Heart to name a few. Not only did they write every song on this album, they also played the majority of the instruments. If that’s not impressive, I don’t know what is.

I’ve had the pleasure of getting to meet Mary Ann Kennedy and Pam Rose a few times. Way back in the day before they released Hai Ku. I was a big fan of some of the songs that they had written, and did some pre-internet research and found the address of the song publisher, and wrote them a letter telling them how much their songs meant to me. They each wrote me back handwritten notes, and they invited me to meet them in a few months when they would be in Louisville with Emmylou Harris. I honestly don’t know what was more awesome – getting to meet them or getting to meet Emmylou Harris. I got to meet them again in Nashville a year later at the Summer Lights Festival.

My favorite song on this album, and perhaps my favorite song ever is the first vocal track on Hai Ku, “Love Like This.”
I first heard it in 1986 when they appeared on an episode of “Austin City Limits” with Emmylou Harris, Roseanne Cash and other songwriters. They did a stripped down acoustic version of “Love Like This” and it blew me away. I recorded that show on my trusty BetaMax VCR and I almost wore out the tape watching it over and over. When I got the CD, I played it on my way to and from work every day for months. And no, I didn't tired of it. And today when I play it, it still seems brand new.