Ian Kemp Fletcher

IAN KEMP
(aka Ian Fletcher Kemp)
Born: New York, NY, USA

Ian Kemp was raised in Toronto, Ontario, CANADA, where he first recorded under the name Ian Fletcher Kemp, releasing the 1979 album "Ian Fletcher Kemp (Writer)" on Change Records (CLP8006).

Several singles from the album earned national charting in Canada. The debut single, "Love Catch Fire" b/w "Saving Of A Heart" (CH-45009) proved to be his best chart showing with the record peaking at #16 on the RPM Charts in 1979. The "B-Side" of the single was not part of Kemp's album. A follow-up single, "J & D Railroad Line" b/w "Pilgrims (The Runaways)" (CH-45020) earned a #42 spot on the charts in 1979, while a third single, "Jennifer Grew Tall" reached #40, also in 1979. A fourth single from the album, "Bethy (In The Gulf Of Mexico)" b/w "Singin' All The Blues Away" (CH 45029), failed to chart.

Ian Kemp then moved on to CBS Songs in the mid-1980's, releasing a pair of singles; "Railway Widows Song" (AB-01) and "Whisky" b/w " Boys Best Company" (AB-02), neither of which earned national charting. An additional single release came in 1989 on Jennie Records, with the song "The Wishing Well" (JPR-023).

While Ian Kemp's recording career was limited in numbers his songwriting credits go much deeper, living up to the title of his lone "Writer" album. Kemp's most notable entry on the Nashville scene came with Dean Dillon's recording of his song "Station To Station", featured on Dillon's 1988 "Slick Nickel" album. Other Nashville cuts of a Kemp song included singles by Steve Worthey and Tammy Pierce. His songs have also been recorded by a multitude of Canadian country artists including Susan Graham, Sherisse Laurence, Carmen Westphal, Lorraine Conway, Sandy Therien, Jan Sterritt, Michelle Glover, Cathy Korpi, Peter MacDonald, Mel Howell and B.W. Pawley.