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Kenny Klein

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American musician and author (1955–2020)
Kenny Klein

Kenny Klein (1955–2020) was an American folk and country musician and a published author. He was an elder and high priest in the Blue Star tradition of Wicca. Klein was a fiddler, playing styles ranging from British folk to jazz and swing. He was convicted in April 2017 of 20 counts of possession of child pornography. He died while serving his sentence in prison.

Musical career

Born in New York City, Klein and his then-wife performed as a duo called Kenny and Tzipora in the mid-1980s, and they recorded several projects on Kicking Mule Records, including the album Wineskins, Tinkers, & Tears in 1985. Together with their children they traveled around the US, performing at pagan festivals, Renaissance fairs, and folk music venues. In 1992, Klein and Tzipora divorced, and he began his solo music career, subsequently releasing several projects on Blackthorn Records. In 1998 he released the CD Muses, an album of all original music produced by Brewers' Witch Productions.

Neopagan activities

Through his interest in British folk music, Klein discovered the Wiccan and Neopagan communities. While living in New York City, he joined Tzipora Katz's Blue Star coven and tradition of Wicca; he married Katz, who initiated him as a high priest in that tradition in 1983. From 1983 to 1992 Katz and Klein were largely responsible for transforming Blue Star from a local coven to a Wiccan tradition of its own. Touring the country during that period performing music, Kenny and Tzipora continued to teach Blue Star Wicca, initiating people and founding covens, as well as teaching via recording and distributing lessons on cassette tapes.

In 1993, Klein authored The Flowering Rod: Men, Sex and Spirituality, a book on Wicca and men's mysteries.

Child pornography conviction

On March 25, 2014, agents of the Louisiana State Police Special Victims Unit executed a search warrant at Klein's residence and seized a computer that contained 20 videos showing minor children engaged in sexually explicit activities. Upon his arrest, he claimed, without evidence, that he had downloaded the videos as "research" for an article he was writing for The Huffington Post.

On April 6, 2017, after a three-day jury trial, Klein was convicted of one count of pornography involving a juvenile under age 13, and 19 counts of possession with intent to distribute pornography involving juveniles under age 17. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, fined $2,500 and ordered that, upon release, he wear an electronic ankle monitor for the rest of his life.

During the course of his trial, Klein's stepdaughter testified that he sexually abused her and her half-brother, Klein's biological son, for years, and that he physically abused her mother during their marriage. The court testimony is public record.

Death

On 13 July 2020 it was reported on the Wild Hunt and in various places on social media that on 11 July 2020, Klein died in prison of pancreatic cancer, in the B.B. "Sixty" Rayburn Correctional Facility in Washington Parish near Angie, Louisiana.

Written works

  • Fairy Tale Rituals (May 2011), Llewellyn Worldwide ISBN 978-0-7387-2305-1
  • Through The Faerie Glass (February 2010), Llewellyn Worldwide ISBN 978-0-7387-1883-5
  • The Flowering Rod: Men, Sex and Spirituality (March 1993), Delphi Press ISBN 1-878980-07-6, ISBN 978-1-878980-07-6
  • Lilith, Queen of the Desert (July 2010), includes the poem "Lilith" by Kenny Klein, Knickerbocker Circus Publishing, ISBN 978-1-4507-2236-0
  • Girls I Knew When I Was Twenty (August 2004), Poetic Diversity.
  • Legba in the French Market

Discography

Solo

  • 1994: Gold of the Autumn – Blackthorn Records
  • 1995: High Grows the Barley – Blackthorn Records
  • 1998: Muses – Brewers' Witch Productions
  • 2004: The Fairy Queen – Blackthorn Records
  • 2005: Little Birds Of Desire – Blackthorn Records
  • 2005: Barley Moon – Blackthorn Records
  • 2007: Meet Me in the Shade of the Maple Tree – Blackthorn Records
  • 2008: Oak & Ash – Blackthorn Records
  • 2011: Ghosts of the Delta – Independent
  • 2012: Black Cat Blues – Independent

With Tzipora Katz

  • 1983: Worn Out Threads and Tire Treads (live album) – Kicking Mule Records
  • 1983: Moon Hooves in the Sand – Blue Star Records (cassette)
  • 1984: Songs of the Otherworld – Kenny & Tzipora (cassette)
  • 1985: Wineskins, Tinkers, & Tears – Kicking Mule Records (LP)
  • 1986: Dreamer's Web – Kenny & Tzipora (cassette)
  • 1988: Fairy Queen – Kenny & Tzipora (cassette)
  • 1989: Both Sides of the Water – Kenny & Tzipora (cassette)
  • 1990: Branches – Kenny & Tzipora — Magical Audio Graphics Incomplete (cassette)
  • 1990: Kenny & Tzipora: Live & Kickin' at A.C.E. – A.C.E. (cassette)
  • 1990: Enchantress – Gypsy (Kenny & Tzipora guest artists) – White Light Pentacles (cassette; CD release 2001)
  • 2004: Best of Pagan Song (compilation CD) – Serpentine Music Productions

References

  1. Lewis, James R. (1999). Witchcraft Today: An Encyclopedia of Wiccan and Neopagan Traditions. ABC-CLIO. p. 33. ISBN 978-1-57607-134-2.
  2. ^ McKnight, Laura (April 6, 2017). "Orleans Parish jury returns guilty verdicts on all counts in child pornography case against Wiccan priest". New Orleans Times-Picayune.
  3. ^ The Wild Hunt (July 13, 2020). "Pagan Community Notes: Klein dies in prison, Oklahoma Supreme court ruling, Cairril Adaire crosses Veil, and more!". The Wild Hunt.
  4. "Folk Music Performer Index - Kea to Kep". Ibiblio.org. Retrieved 2011-07-27.
  5. ^ "An Opinionated Blue Star History by Kenny Klein". Kennyklein.net. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2011-07-27.
  6. Castells, Cat. "Ravenstar Coven Website". Ravenstarcoven.org. Archived from the original on 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2011-07-27.
  7. ^ "State v. Klein, 252 So. 3d 973 (La. Ct. App. 2018)". Casetext. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  8. Daley, Ken (2017-05-12). "New Orleans Wiccan priest sentenced to 20 years in child porn case". New Orleans Times-Picayune. Retrieved 2017-05-14.
  9. Kenny Klein. "Fairy Tale Rituals: Engage the Dark, Eerie & Erotic Power of Familiar Stories by Kenny Klein - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists". Goodreads.com. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  10. "American Film". americanfilm.afi.com.
  11. "Poetic Diversity, Kenny Klein, Contributing Poets". Poeticdiversity.org. Retrieved 2011-07-27.
  12. Strange Road Website
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