Kenny G

Kenneth Bruce Gorelick better known by his stage name Kenny G is an American jazz saxophonist His 1986 album Duotones brought him commercial success Kenny G is one of the bestselling artists of all time with global sales totaling more than 75 million records Kenny Gs career started with a job as a sideman for Barry Whites Love Unlimited Orchestra in 1973 he was 17 and still in high school He continued to play professionally while studying for a major in accounting at the University of Washington in Seattle and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude He played with the funk band Cold Bold and Together before becoming a credited member of The Jeff Lorber Fusion He began his solo career after his period with Lorber Kenny G has worked on several film soundtracks including Dying Young and The Bodyguard The song Theme for Dying Young written for that movie was nominated for a Best Pop Instrumental Performance Kenny G cowrote the soundtrack of The Bodyguard starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston and performed his own song Waiting for You as well as his single Even If My Heart Would Break His music was also included in The Shadow and Miracle on 34th Street His sixth studio album Breathless was released in 1992 and went on to become the bestselling instrumental album ever with over 15 million copies sold worldwide selling 12 million copies in the United States alone The album included many hits such as Forever in Love the recipient of the Grammy Award for the Best Instrumental Composition and which charted in the Billboard YearEnd Hot 100 Sentimental charted at No 27 on the Adult Contemporary Chart and By the Time This Night Is Over a collaboration with Peabo Bryson peaked at No 25 on the Hot 100 His first holiday album Miracles sold over 13 million copies making it the most successful Christmas album to date He also performed the National Anthem of the United States at the 1994 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena California on July 17 1994 Kenny G earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1997 for playing the longest note ever recorded on a saxophone Using circular breathing Kenny G held an Eflat for 45 minutes and 47 seconds at JR Music World in New York City The same year his song Havana from the album The Moment was remixed by Todd Terry and Tony Moran and released to dance clubs in the US The mixes went to No1 on the Billboard DanceClub Play Songs chart in April 1997 Kenny Gs second holiday album Faith is the best selling holiday album of 1999 in the United States selling 2 million units according to NielsenSoundScan The singles taken from the album the traditional Auld Lang Syne reached No 7 on the Hot 100 His rendition of Auld Lang Syne was at the time of charting popularized by the thenupcoming New Year celebration for 2000 At the time of its peak it was also the oldestwritten song to make the Hot 100 charts