Thomas "Trey" Kennedy III is a comedian, actor and singer, known for his YouTube and TikTok videos.[1][2] He emerged on the video sharing app, Vine, but after its shutdown, he transitioned to Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Trey Kennedy | |
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![]() Kennedy in 2020 | |
Born | November 17, 1992 Edmond, Oklahoma | (age 31)
Medium | Stand-up |
Nationality | American |
Education | Oklahoma State University |
Years active | 2011-present |
Genres | Christian comedy, sketch comedy, observational comedy |
Website | https://treykennedy.com/ |
Early life
editKennedy is from Edmond, Oklahoma.[3][4] He has described himself as a "shy kid" who never thought he would be an entertainer.[5] Kennedy played basketball during his childhood.[6] Kennedy attended Oklahoma State University, where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi and began making videos on Vine with his friends.[7][4] After Vine ended, Kennedy continued to make comedic videos and release them on Facebook and Instagram.[4] Kennedy later received an MBA from Oklahoma State University, where he was on the board of the Master’s of Business Administration Association.[8]
Career
editKennedy began singing in 2011, at age 19, performing pop and rhythm and blues.[3] He did not sing when he was growing up, and his family was not very musical.[9][10] His college friends encouraged him to pursue singing after hearing him sing along to the radio, and he entered a charity contest during which he was well received.[10][11] In 2016, Kennedy released an EP, Take Me to the River. Kennedy has also released several singles.[5][10] He has stated that he is working on a music project with a producer in his home state of Oklahoma.[10] Kennedy started a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project.[10]
Beginning in 2017, Trey Kennedy frequently collaborated with John Crist.[12][13][14] Together, the comedians have released several viral videos, including one about bachelorette parties in Nashville.[15][16] Additionally, Kennedy joined Crist on several of his 2018 tour dates.[17][18] Kennedy has also done several collaboration videos with King Bach.[10]
In 2019, Kennedy began hosting a podcast, Correct Opinions with Trey Kennedy, which is produced by Studio71.[4] According to Chartable, the podcast has been in the top 100 for comedy podcasts in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain.[19]
Kennedy has done several stand-up appearances, including a November 2019 appearance in Madison, Wisconsin.[20]
Kennedy's January 2019 video, "Moms", had over 4.8 million views on Facebook.[21] Another video of Kennedy's that mocks middle school students received over 14 million views.[4] The video led to more videos about middle school students,[22] and in March 2020, Kennedy released a TV series, Middle School Maddox, in which Kennedy spoofs middle school angst.[23][24]
As of August 2022, Kennedy has 3.5 million followers on TikTok, 240.7 million total views on YouTube, and over 4.7 million Facebook followers.[4][25][26][27]
Kennedy's 2020 tour, the “Are You For Real?” tour, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[28][29] It was originally announced in January 2020 and was scheduled to begin on March 11, 2020.[27]
Books
edit- Dads Be Like: 'Tis the Season to be Swaggy (2018)
- Girls Be Like
Tours
editTrey Kennedy performed at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Illinois on October 7, 2021.
Personal life
editIn September 2019, Kennedy announced his engagement to Katie Byrum, a biomedical engineer.[12][4] Trey and Katie were married in a private ceremony on May 23, 2020. The day was purportedly extra special for Katie as she wore the same veil that her mother and grandmother wore on their wedding days. The couple welcomed their first son, Thomas, on February 28, 2023. [30] Kennedy is based in Kansas City,[14] and as a result is a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs.[31] Kennedy is a Christian.[32][25]
Discography
edit- Take Me to the River (EP) (2016)
Filmography
editYear | Title | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2020 | Middle School Maddox | Maddox | [23] |
References
edit- ^ "Trey Kennedy". Cleveland Magazine. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ Scagell, Julie (March 20, 2020). "Trey Kennedy Nails How Every Mom In America Feels During Corona Quarantine". Yahoo! News. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ a b Keys, Elizabeth (May 1, 2014). "THE SPOTLIGHT: Trey Kennedy mixes pop and R&B". Stillwater News Press. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Slater Tate, Allison (February 11, 2020). "This 27-year-old single guy nails impressions of moms and middle schoolers". Today Show. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ a b "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TREY KENNEDY, INTERNET COMEDY STAR & RISING MUSICIAN". Media Kix. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ Henley, Tim (August 18, 2007). "Oklahoma teenagers realize hoop dreams with title win". The Oklahoman. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ Gregory, Dakota (April 24, 2018). "The First Step: OSU students give insight on starting a business in college". O'Colly Media Group. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ "MBA Association announces newly elected officers for 2016". Oklahoma State University. December 11, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ "#LifeAtComplex: Social Media Star Trey Kennedy Visits the Office". Complex. March 6, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Lacy, Dwayne (August 22, 2017). "Trey Kennedy Sings: An Exclusive Interview". NRT. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ "Spring Sing hits campus". O'Colly. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ a b Klett, Leah MarieAnn (September 6, 2019). "Christian comedian Trey Kennedy announces surprise engagement: 'God is so so good!'". The Christian Post. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ MOGHADDAMI, Victoria. "Comic John Crist Reveals He's Getting a Netflix Special (Exclusive)". PopCulture. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ a b "If Bible characters had iPhones ... who would rate?". Eternity News. February 15, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ Meyer, Holly (September 19, 2018). "Every Nashville Bachelorette: Comedian John Crist spoofs Nashville's bachelorettes in new video". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ Moghaddimi, Victoria. "Comic John Crist Gets Frank on How He Paired up With Social Media Personality Trey Kennedy (Exclusive)". PopCulture. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ "John Crist Announces "Immature Thoughts Tour"". The Christian Beat. June 23, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ "Joining my twin John Crist on a few tour stops". July 24, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2023 – via Facebook.
- ^ "Correct Opinions with Trey Kennedy". Chartable. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ Lutz, Zach (November 5, 2019). "Highlighting Madison's biggest music, comedy acts this November". Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ Tarlton, Amanda (January 22, 2019). "This Comedian's Hilarious Imitation of Moms Is Absolutely Perfect". Fatherly. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ Pahr, Kristi (September 27, 2019). "This Parody of Middle School Angst Is So Accurate it Hurts". Yahoo! News. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ a b "'MIDDLE SCHOOL MADDOX' BY COMEDIAN TREY KENNEDY IS COMING SOON!". Premier Productions. March 12, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ "Watch Trey Kennedy's Genuinely Hilarious Christian Comedy". WayNation. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ a b Demopoulos, Alaina (August 11, 2019). "Feel Their Faith in 15 Seconds: Meet The Christians Conquering TikTok". Daily Beast. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ Guzman, Angela. "Hilarious TikTok Accounts You Need to Follow". Beliefnet. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ a b Robinson, Dominiq (January 30, 2020). "Comedian Trey Kennedy announces 2020 The Are You For Real Tour". AXS. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- ^ Bolling, Cristina (March 12, 2020). "Cancellations mount for Charlotte arts groups due to order over mass gatherings". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ "TREY KENNEDY: THE ARE YOU FOR REAL? TOUR POSTPONED". Experience Columbus. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
- ^ Rice, Lilyanne (August 10, 2020). "Everything about Trey Kennedy and his wife Katie Byrum". The Netline. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
- ^ Conner, Matt. "Travis Kelce surprises Chiefs fans with wedding announcement". Arrowhead Addict. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
- ^ "OHN CRIST AND TREY KENNEDY TRAVEL THROUGH TARGET AS "SINGLE GIRLS ON VALENTINES DAY"". NGEN Radio. February 14, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
External links
edit- Trey Kennedy at IMDb