Joyce Kennedy breaks free from the stigma with the “Rock’n My Soul” EP

LA Music Review | Art, stories and advice


Electrifying, iconic and truly unstoppable!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Joyce Kennedy has been a staple in the rock, soul, and funk scenes…

since the young age of 16, all the way to her current age of 74 years old. Joyce Kennedy is the definition of an icon, having sung and collaborated with legends such as Alice Cooper, ACDC, Ted Nugent, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, and Earth Wind and Fire. Kennedy is still on tour with her legendary band Motherโ€™s Finest, showing her dedication to her craft and the longevity that her classic voice has created for her over decades.

Joyce “Baby Jean” Kennedy was born in the Mississippi Delta and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Her career as a singer began at the age of 16, dubbed by the Chicago Radio with her first #1 single (โ€œI Still Love Youโ€) as “16 years old with a hundred years of soul.”

Joyceโ€™s next #1 singles (โ€œBaby Loveโ€ & โ€œLove Changesโ€) came years later with the forming of the fusion rock funk band Motherโ€™s Finest that she formed with her husband, Glenn Murdock. As the singer in this unit, she earned the title “funk metal rock soul diva” through her approach to her stage presence and vocal stylings. Once youโ€™ve heard Joyce’s voice, you remember it. It embraces you, touches you. Sheโ€™s honest and makes you feel like youโ€™ve known her forever. One minute full of rocket fuel the next youโ€™re wrapped in the warmth of her heart.

โ€œThe Last Time I Made Loveโ€ was her most successful single, reaching number 2 on the R&B charts and number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Joyce Kennedy and Motherโ€™s Finest are currently embarked on an international tour.

Start streaming “Rock’n My Soul” right here:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This latest project from Joyce Kennedy, Rockโ€™n My Soul

is a tour-de-force in the rock/funk fusion genre, bringing together high energy instrumentals with Kennedyโ€™s powerful vocals and ripping, confident lyrics. The opening track, โ€œMy Bad,โ€ builds quickly from an engaging rock riff into lyrics that effortlessly meld religious imagery with the idea of rock as a concept. The chorus confidently chants, โ€œthe rockโ€™s gotten in my soul,โ€ displaying how this isnโ€™t just music, itโ€™s a way of life and a creed as deep as any religious one. 

In track two, โ€œLove Me, Love Me,โ€ Kennedy is sure of what she wants. She does a great job of breaking the stigma surrounding depictions of sexual expression. This is a huge step in the right direction in a society where it is taboo for women to express sexual desire. Track three, โ€œDo Me Right,โ€ continues this narrative of Kennedy knowing her worth and what she deserves in the bedroom. 

Kennedy brings themes of morality, inspiration, and badassery to her Rockโ€™n My Soul EP, just as we expected.

This EP truly is a stellar example of Kennedyโ€™s style, and sure to be a great fit for any rock/funk playlist.

Connect with Joyce

Leave a Reply