KENNY HESS

Jun 17, 2026 6:30 PM
Showplace Performance Centre

Kenny Hess has been living the country-music life since the early ’80s, back when most teenagers were still figuring out who they were and he was already out on the road, singing for a living. Born in Outlook, Saskatchewan, Hess began touring at just 15, cutting his teeth on the songs of Charlie Pride, George Jones, and Kris Kristofferson before moving naturally into his own material — and eventually sharing stages with giants like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and plenty more besides.

Over the years, Hess built a multi-award-winning career rooted in the traditions of classic country but driven by the instincts of a serious songwriter. In the early 1990s, he caught the attention of legendary Nashville writer Harlan Howard, a turning point that led to a deal with Harlan Howard Songs and Curb Records, one of the most respected publishing houses in the business. Since then, Hess has notched several charting singles and seen more than 200 original songs recorded.

That long run of success was recognized in 2015, when he returned to British Columbia to be inducted into the BC Country Music Hall of Fame. But Hess’s legacy isn’t only measured in awards or recording credits. He also wrote “Children Believe,” a Christmas song for which he gave away all his rights to support the Children Believe Foundation. The song has helped raise close to $1 million, and in 2025 Hess and his friend George Canyon took that message across Canada, proving that even after all these years, he’s still putting heart at the centre of the story.