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PASCO It was 1958 when 21-year-old Kenny Baker loaded up his 1956 Chevy convertible and headed for Los Angeles to see if he could cut a record, maybe even get signed by a record company.
The 1955 Kennewick High grad had been writing songs and performing them around town since he was a kid and was ready to chase the big time.
On Thursday, the now 72-year-old Kennewick resident talked about that long-ago journey just before he went on the air as a special guest on Barry "The Bear" Long's Cool FM 97.5 Super Hits of the 60s and 70s radio show.
It was a journey that led to successfully making a record. But then, abruptly, Baker put it all behind him and slipped from the public eye -- until he got a big surprise Thursday.
Baker, who hadn't seen a vinyl 45 copy of his record for almost 50 years, recalls well the year he spent in L.A., the excitement of youth and the chance he got to cut a record that got national attention.
"A friend of mine was living in L.A. attending the Pasadena Playhouse back then, and she called and said I should come down there and see if I could make it in music," he said.
That began a short, but thrilling, ride in the music business.
"I met a Canadian DJ named Ken Robes who knew people in Hollywood and he got me an audition with Sam Cooke," Baker said. "I was so nervous because this was the one and only Sam Cooke the musician. He didn't sign me, but he did turn me on to other producers who helped me record a couple of my songs."
The songs Baker recorded on the Orbit record label in 1959 were I'm Gonna Love You, a Buddy Holly-style sound, and a little ditty on the flip side called Goodbye Little Star.
"The songs got national air play," he recalled. "And I had a friend who worked at KORD Radio here in Tri-Cities who played my song over and over again. But then I got drafted into the Army and that put an end to that."
By the time he was discharged from the service, the thrill of Hollywood had gone. Instead of returning to record more songs with Orbit, Baker came home to the Tri-Cities.
"I really never wanted to go back to the Hollywood music scene," he said. "It just wasn't the great place I thought it would be. There really are so many weird people there. And I have no regrets about that decision."
He didn't give up on his music, however. He still played in clubs around town from time to time. Then 17 years ago his life took a spiritual turn when he went to work for Dayspring Ministries, based in Tri-Cities.
"I see myself as a born-again Christian who writes and sings music for Jesus now," Baker said.
Most of his performances are at jails and prisons in Washington, Oregon and California.
"I found my true calling doing this," he said. "I've written quite a few songs during the past years. But they are songs from God now and there's a peacefulness in that."
Thursday's surprise began after Baker dropped by the KORD Radio station in Pasco recently just to tell the DJ he always appreciated the station's long-ago support of his record.
"We gave him a tour of the building and Barry played his song for him while he was here," said Eric Van Winkle, general manager for Gap West Broadcasting. "When we played his song, he was visibly moved by the gesture and couldn't stop thanking us for remembering."
That's when Van Winkle and Long decided to do something special for Baker.
Long did some research on the internet and discovered that Baker still is quite well known overseas.
"His record is still sold in record stores in parts of Europe," Long said. "In fact, I found that Kenny's songs are still quite popular over there because they're still selling them. We found a copy (of I'm Gonna Love You) we could buy for about 2 pounds (about $3.35 U.S.) in the United Kingdom and had it shipped to us."
After it arrived, the radio station had the vinyl framed in glass so both sides could be viewed. And then Long presented it to Baker during his radio interview Thursday afternoon.
"This is so wonderful," a choked-up Baker said afterward. "I haven't seen that record in 50 years. I'm not going to let this one disappear."
Baker said he has no plans to retire from singing. "I figure I'll keep singing until the Lord takes me home. I figure retirement with him is a whole lot better than retirement here."
