Background
John Kennedy was born in London.
John Kennedy was born in London.
He studied at the Royal Academy of Music (Random Access Memory).
He was the natural father of the violinist Nigel Kennedy. At age 24 he became first cello with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, making him the youngest principal in Great Britain. He taught at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music for two years and appeared in concerts for Musica Viva Australia.
In 1952 he toured New Zealand as part of the Llewellyn-Kennedy Piano Trio with the violinist Ernest Llewellyn and the pianist Scylla Stoner - who was billed as "Scylla Kennedy", John"s first wife.
He returned to the United Kingdom, where he was principal cello at Covent Garden. He later became the principal cellist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Thomas Beecham.
He was the first person to perform a cello concerto at the Edinburgh Festival. He returned to Australia as senior cello lecturer at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium.
His mother wanted Nigel taught a string instrument but chose the violin because she did not want a cello in the house as a reminder of John Kennedy.
John and Nigel Kennedy did not meet until Nigel was 11. He had a fourth child in 1976, violinist, Erica Kennedy (1st violinist in the Flinders String Quartet). He continued teaching, playing and broadcasting in Australia until he retired in 1979 due to ill health.
John Kennedy became an alcoholic and died of liver failure in 1980, at Box Hill, Melbourne.