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Matt Kennon Discovers Shocking Details About His Adoption

Matt KennonNewcomer Matt Kennon identifies with such fellow country singers as Jimmy Wayne, Jeff Bates and Rodney Atkins, who were either adopted or were at some point in the foster care system. The Georgia native was adopted at birth by two loving parents, who had previously lost three of their four biological children to a house fire.

Matt's birth mother, who already had another son, made a decision to have an abortion, but she arrived at her doctor's office two weeks too late and was told she had to carry the child (Matt) to full term. Matt's adoptive mother had the same doctor, and she was able to take him and give him a loving, stable home. But even knowing he was "chosen," didn't give Matt the peace of mind he was searching for -- he had to find out exactly who he was, and the details surrounding his birth took the singer on a pretty painful journey. "[My parents] always let me know I was their son and they chose me," Matt tells The Boot. "But the older I got, the more inquisitive and the more I wanted to know. I just had to know what my nationality was, and if I had any siblings, things like that. They were just eating at me. I'd just lay there at night wondering, so I had to know, but I wasn't prepared for what I'd find out."

In addition to finding his biological parents, Matt also found his brother, as well as a few unsavory details about what nearly happened to him as a baby. "I had a father and a mother who had been married once, got divorced ... my father was re-married, went back [and] my mother got pregnant," states Matt. "I have umpteen half brothers and sisters from my father, and my mother was just badly damaged and pretty dysfunctional, and she pretty much imprisoned herself and wouldn't talk to anybody. So, she had let herself go. I'd found out that both my mother and father had both been homeless. I had a brother who was selling drugs to support my mother who couldn't work. She was disabled. So, that was what I had found out. And that my father had tried to possibly do a black market adoption with me."

Matt explains that his biological father tried to sell him for $10,000 to an attorney, who was later disbarred.

So, 'The Call' singer took it all in, and how did he deal with it? "It gave me the drive to succeed and let them know I was more than just a price tag," Matt explains. "But there's just so much more that went along with that. The last words my mother ever told me was that she wished she wouldn't have had me because she wasn't prepared to deal with this. And I never spoke to her again. Twelve years went by, and I found out a week after she passed away. And I had to disassociate myself that she wasn't my mother. So, I refer to them as my 'illegitimate parents.'"

Matt realizes that despite his beginnings, he's pretty blessed. "I've only got a mom and a dad and they're both alive and well, and they've always been there and they always will be there."

Matt is riding the country charts with his poignant debut single, 'The Call,' and is currently putting the finishing touches on his first album, which is due to hit stores later this year.


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Vivian

Love all my country pals, just wish I could see them every day.

January 09 2012 at 1:58 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
abusedbykittys

Too much in common there with Matt.. Adopted and all, Met my egg donor when I was 18 and it was a blessing that I was adopted !!

and the song "The Call" hits home !!

February 16 2010 at 1:47 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
amkihegarn

There should not be such negative things on here it's simply "his" story. Who are any of you to judge him? You have not walked in his shoes. Kuddos to those who have the positive things to say. You others should listen to this guys song. It might be someone like you that needs "A call"

January 29 2010 at 1:42 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Cameron

He should be thankful that the doctor abided by the law and refused a late term abortion. It sounds like his biological parents made all kinds of bad decisions, but here he is - with a loving family and a career most would die for. We can't choose the circumstances we are born into, but we can choose how we respond to them.

January 28 2010 at 2:47 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Stroupster

Wow Grape must you be so rude. And Serves Him Right Suzie... glad you never gave a damn. But some of us do and I don't see why that's a bad thing. Didn't your 92 y.o. mom teach you compassion? Maybe knowing the fault lines that runs through his birth family will be helpful in the long run. Like to be aware of the potential for addiction. I was 21 when my parents split the search fee with me to find my birthmom and besides learning the geneology, I learned that besides the diabetes that was mentioned in the adoption paperwork, there is a history of heart disease and cancer that was not.

January 27 2010 at 10:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Miller

Nobody wants to down the guy for wanting to seek out his birth parents...personally I applaud him for having the courage to face that fire...but what is being downed is the fact that this is not actually newsworthy information for the entire world...it is only news worthy to those directly involved.

It all goes back to the same story regarding the famous...if a child of parents that live in a trailer park goes missing, does it make national news? no, but if somebody with wealth does it makes every single syndicated media point from coast to coast.

If this is what he wanted and he sought out his birth parents surely he was either intelligent enough or educated on the possibility that what he found could be dismal and could be rejected a second time. If it were me, I would thankful that my biological parents gave me up...and most of all I wouldn't air my dirty laundry out for the world to see...I never knew my father from the time I was 1 years old because he was removed from us due to his unstable mental condition after returning from Viet Nam...I found him in 1999 at the age of 31..nobody helped me..i did it by myself through my own research...he is still very sick...do you think I can make national news for it??

January 27 2010 at 9:37 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Miller

the only real issue here is that this is not valid news...its just a rag can't find anything else to report on so the chose this one hit wonder...if you want real news, just tune into CNN

January 27 2010 at 8:53 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
pat

Because somebody gets into the entertainment industry and gains a little wealth and fame...DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE HAPPY!

I talked to Hammer the other day and he has never been happier, and realizes the friends he has now are with him because they like him...not his wallet!

January 27 2010 at 8:42 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
cannidog

Matt,
Joseph was sold into slavery. And after all those years he realized one thing: What they had meant for evil, God had meant for good. Now, that can go alot of ways. But that's between you and God. It's HIs call to you. I'll be praying for you, keep praying for me. I'm still waiting to see what God has meant for me in my situation; I want to make sure that God gets what He wants from my situation, for everybody involved.
I see my life in every stanza of The Call. Literally. Thank you for singing from the depths of your heart. It has helped me today. Bless you, brother. We look forward to hearing about what you've learned from all this in the future. Just stay true to your Witness.

January 27 2010 at 8:00 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Willy

Adoption, in my opinion, is a double -edged sword.disregarding the merits it has to society, and focusing only on the individual, Which this gentleman has done, can be a huge endeavor, mentally. I walked this same path, and wondered for years the truth... for many reasons. Eventually, as in this case , all the answers came out. Also, as in this case, they were not the best answers, they were "complicated" The real point I am trying to make, is to people in a similar situation,that need to know the answers. People, please prepare yourselves, as demons may lie within. Whatever the outcome, good or bad, your life will change when the answers have been found. Each individual must weigh this, and determine if changes in life of this magnitude are a good idea or not. I can assure you, sometimes it is better to stick with whatever is made in the mind. Leave this as a memory of these "parents" instead of what you may find:) Good luck to all, and especially to this gentleman, who dared to find the truth...Sir, I hope your ego is well, and these answers have not caused you mental damage, we are a product of our parents... only...not a continuation of them. We are free.

January 27 2010 at 7:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply