[4][8] As a solo artist, Loggins experienced a string of soundtrack successes, including an Academy Award nomination for "Footloose" in 1985.

[9] Finally Home was released in 2013, shortly after Loggins formed the group Blue Sky Riders with Gary Burr and Georgia Middleman.

His father, Robert George Loggins, was a salesman of English and Irish ancestry,[11] while his mother, Lina (née Massie), was a homemaker of Italian descent, from Avezzano.

[14] Loggins had a short gig playing guitar for the New Improved Electric Prunes in 1969 before writing four songs for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band that were included on their album Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy.

He assembled The Kenny Loggins Band by summoning his old friends bassist Larry Sims and drummer Merel Bregante (both formerly of the Sunshine Company, a disbanded 1960s group from Los Angeles), violinist/multireedist Al Garth and multireedist Jon Clarke.

[17] Although the album went unnoticed by radio upon release, it eventually found success by fall 1972, particularly on college campuses where the pair toured heavily.

"When our first album, 'Sittin' In', came out, we started receiving a lot of excitement about the music and good sales", Messina recalled in 2005.

But Clive Davis (then president of the record company) intervened and said, "You know, I think you'd be making a mistake if you guys didn't take this opportunity.

They sold 16 million records and were the most successful duo of the early 1970s, surpassed later in the decade only by Daryl Hall & John Oates.

Later studio albums often found Loggins and Messina more as two solo artists sharing the same record than as a genuine partnership.

Following their January 1976 release of Native Sons and a final concert in Honolulu, Hawaii, on September 25, 1976, the pair amicably and quietly parted to pursue solo careers.

Two months later, a live album, Finale was released, more by record company decision than one intended by the artists, one year after the duo had come to an end.

[citation needed] In 1977, Loggins produced his first solo album, Celebrate Me Home, which included the successful song "I Believe in Love", originally sung by Barbra Streisand in A Star Is Born.

Nightwatch, a popular album released in 1978, included the hit song "Whenever I Call You Friend", a duet with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, co-written with Melissa Manchester.

As Loggins told American Songwriter in 1987, "The best musical statements are usually the ones that aren't calculated and the ones that come out in the largest chunks.

Vice President Al Gore called this song "the unofficial anthem of the environmental movement".

In 1997, Loggins released the album The Unimaginable Life, based on a book he co-wrote with his then-wife Julia.

The album was produced by Loggins and Randy Jackson with background vocals by Skyler Jett, Lamont VanHook and Howard Smith.

In 1998, Loggins recorded a version of the Sesame Street song "One Small Voice" for the ABC television special Elmopalooza, which was included as a track on the Grammy Award-winning soundtrack album.

In 2000, he performed the theme song for Disney's The Tigger Movie, "Your Heart Will Lead You Home", which he co-wrote with Richard and Robert Sherman.

In 1999, he appeared as himself on the television show Dharma & Greg in the episode "Tye-Dying the Knot", performing at Abby and Larry's wedding.

In 2011, he performed a short tour in South East Asia including Manila, Philippines and Singapore.

[26] Loggins made a cameo appearance as himself in episode 1 of season 3 of the television show Grace and Frankie.

In October 2018, he received the inaugural Music Icon Award at the San Diego International Film Festival.

[citation needed] Loggins is a member of Blue Sky Riders, a country music trio also featuring Gary Burr and Georgia Middleman.

[30] He also lends the songs "Danger Zone" and "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)" and sings station jingles.

In 2014, Loggins appeared as himself in the episode "Baby Shower" of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Archer.

At the end of the episode and during the credits, Loggins also performs a country version of "Danger Zone" as a duet with the character of Cherlene.

Their relationship was limited to a friendship, but near the end of the 1980s, Loggins separated from his wife at nearly the same time Cooper left her husband.

[39][40] In 1994 they became involved with Equinox International, a multi-level marketing organization and created a promotional video for the company, as did Ted Danson and Dave Parker.