Kevin Dempsey made his first impression on the English music scene as part of the progressive pop/rock band
Dando Shaft, which he co-founded with Dave Cooper and
Martin Jenkins (his future Whippersnapper bandmate). Following the group's breakup in 1972, he spent time in India before heading to America, where he joined
Blue Aquarius, a jazz outfit. He also played Latin music with
Los Bohemios, and did session work with
Alice Coltrane.
Dempsey later returned to England, where he formed a folk duo with singer Polly Bolton and organized the jazz outfit Pzazz. He spent most of the 1980s and early '90s as a member of Whippersnapper, along with
Jenkins,
Chris Leslie, and
Dave Swarbrick. He and
Leslie later recorded together as a duo, and
Dempsey and
Swarbrick have also worked together as a duo into the 21st century. ~ Bruce Eder