“I think every artist’s goal is to bring their music to a wider audience. I am always happy to see a wide demographic at my shows and I believe that by exposing new and younger listeners to the music it will continue to propel the (blues) genre forward and continue its growth.”
By Linda Cain
Louisiana native Kenny Wayne Shepherd remains youthful at age 47; his songs, music and videos still reflect his passion for girls, guitars and cars. He’s a married father of six but his lyrics are populated by strong female characters. He still collects vintage guitars and muscle cars, which he enjoys restoring.
The covers of latest two albums, Dirt on My Diamonds Vol. 1 and the soon to be released (on Sept. 20) Vol 2, feature photos of his rare Barracuda sports car, both before and after restoration.
On the title track, Kenny sings:
“I like a little dirt on my diamonds/ Like my edges rough”
“No I don’t like it shinin’/ I don’t need it brand new
I like a little dirt on my diamonds too”
The lyrics to “Dirt on My Diamonds” can be seen as a metaphor for appreciating imperfections, fixing up old things and making them useful again. It also sounds like a decent metaphor for updating classic blues music as well -- a subject that Shepherd has studied extensively.
In fact, the songs for both albums were composed in perhaps one of the swampiest, funkiest and most soulful locations in the world: namely FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The famed session players at FAME, known as The Swampers, played on hits by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, Duane Allman, Lynryd Skynryd, Clarence Carter, Candi Staton, the list goes on.
“I think these records feel like a continuation of each other, Kenny says of Dirt on My Diamonds Vol. 1 and 2. “ Both of these records were written in Muscle Shoals, which was intentional - we wanted to go there and soak up the musical history there,” Kenny explains.
Dirt On My Diamonds, Volume 2 expands the musical journey that began with Volume 1 last November. “When I started writing these songs, two distinct identities emerged,” Shepherd explains. “Both albums share the same spirit, but the songs, sounds, and grooves are unique. We decided to stagger the releases to match how people consume music today – essentially creating a double album. Our creative momentum was strong, so we kept it rolling.”
Tracking took place at the Band House Studios in Los Angeles just days before the studio was demolished. “It was a really cool intimate old-school studio with analogue everything, but they tore it down straight after we made these records,” says Shepherd.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band on Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise 2014/
photo: Dianne Bruce Dunklau
Known for his electrifying, often sold out shows, Shepherd’s current band consists of blues and roots veterans, most notably Chris “Whipper” Layton, who was Stevie Ray Vaughan’s drummer. Here is the current touring band:
KWS: Guitar, Vocals
Noah Hunt: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Chris Layton: Drums
Joe Krown: Keyboards
Kevin McCormick: Bass
Doug Woolverton: Trumpet
Charlie Di Puma: Sax
The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band will play two shows in Chicagoland – on Sept. 11, 2024 at the Des Plaines Theater in Des Plaines and a sold out show at the Arcada Theater in St. Charles on Sept. 12. Tickets for the Des Plaines show are available HERE.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd started out as a child guitar prodigy who learned from the blues elders and continues to this day to surround himself with veteran musicians who are decades older. His father Ken Shepherd was a Louisiana DJ and concert promoter who took his talented young son to blues and rock concerts and played music from his vast record collection. Thanks to Dad, seven-year-old Kenny even got to meet his idol, Stevie Ray Vaughan, which set him on his course to become a blues rock guitarist.
Another artist that Dad took Kenny was to see was the blind blues man Bryan Lee, who held a longtime residency at the Old Absinthe House in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Bryan invited the nervous 13-year-old to sit on with him on guitar. Bryan was “blown away” by the youngster’s guitar playing and invited Kenny to play on his live album, Friday Night – Saturday Night Live from The Old Absinthe House along with the great James Cotton and Frank Marino. Kenny also made a special guest appearance on Bryan’s CD, My Lady Don’t Love My Lady along with Buddy Guy.
Lee passed away in 2020 at age 77 and Kenny honored his memory by writing on his Instagram page: “I was meant to play only two songs with his band but after the first song was done Bryan wouldn’t let me get off the stage until all his sets were done and it was nearly 4 a.m. That night began a lifelong friendship for me that I can’t place a value on. That evening on stage with Bryan gave me confidence to move forward as a performer and his guidance and encouragement was monumental to a young boy trying to make his way in the music business. I’ve kept Bryan’s spirit with me and in my music over the years and did my best to keep him involved in fun things we were doing.”
Photo: Kenny Wayne & Bryan Lee
Once Kenny’s career got going, he repaid the favor and included Bryan Lee on his records and shows (including an appearance in 2007 on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno), most notably his Ten Days Out: Blues From The Backroads project in 2007, which encompassed filming a documentary about historic blues artists, making a record and touring with some of them.
“The idea behind 10 Days Out was to visit some of the great blues players in their home towns and in their environments and play their music,” Kenny recalls. “We were able to visit with some of the biggest names in the blues, but we were also able to record with, and consequently introduce to a larger audience, some of the lesser known, but immensely talented, players, like Etta Baker, Cootie Stark, Neal Pattman, etc.
That is a project that I am incredibly proud of. We then did a tour with several of the artists featured in that documentary, including Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Buddy Flett and Bryan Lee - which is what led to the Live! In Chicago album. That record was recorded in Chicago on the 10 Days Out Tour,” Shepherd noted. The 10 Days Out DVD and CD earned two Grammy nominations. Live in Chicago also was nominated for a Grammy.
B.B. King was also included in the documentary and CD. Kenny had previously toured as B.B.’s opening act, when he was still a teenager with long blond hair flowing down to his waist; he’d already had a couple of hit records already under his belt – Ledbetter Heights in 1995 followed by Trouble Is… in 1997, which yielded the hit song “Blue on Black,” an enduring song he still performs in concert.
The Rides: L to R: Barry Goldberg, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Stephen Stills
Another side project in 2013 found Kenny once again working with veteran blues and rock artists -- The Rides with guitarist Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills Nash & Young) and former Chicagoan keyboardist Barry Goldberg (Electric Flag, Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield). Stills refers to The Rides as "the blues band of my dreams." Both he and Kenny share a passion for collecting historic automobiles, thus the band’s name. They released the debut album Can’t Get Enough in 2013 and followed it with a reunion album, Pierced Arrow, and a tour in 2015.
And then there’s another reoccurring side job -- Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s current Dirt on My Diamonds tour will soon segue into the Experience Hendrix tour.
Starting Sept. 19, Kenny Wayne and his core band (Noah Hunt, Chris Layton, Kevin McCormick) join up with the Experience Hendrix tour, an ongoing Jimi Hendrix all-star tribute show. This year’s tour includes guitarists Chris “Kingfish” Ingram, Eric Johnson, Dweezel Zappa, Taj Mahal, Zakk Wylde, Samantha Fish, Ally Venable, Mato Nanji, Mattias Latin, Dylan Triplett, Stanley Jordan, Chuck Campbell, Calvin Cooke and more.
So far there is no concert date for the Chicago area.
Shepherd has been invited to play on the Hendrix tribute show several times dating back to 2011. In November of 2010, he appeared on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show, sat in with the house band and had the honor of playing the actual white Fender Strat that Hendrix played during his legendary performance at Woodstock.
Over the years, Shepherd has opened for rock superstars like The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Van Halen, Aerosmith and even Bob Dylan and Buddy Guy. He has performed at major festivals all over the world and has released a steady stream of both live and studio albums that have topped the charts and earned awards and nominations – including five Grammy nominations, two Billboard Music Awards, two Gibson Guitar awards, the Blues Foundation’s Keeping the Blues Alive award, two Blues Music Awards, seven #1 blues albums, and many #1 rock singles.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd on Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise 2016/ photo: Dianne Bruce Dunklau
His music continues to cover all shades of the blues that reflect his many influences (B.B. King, SRV, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy to name a few) as well as various styles from rock ‘n’ roll and R&B, to blues rock and hard rock.
Shepherd says he has strived to create music that reaches across generations of older longtime blues and rock fans, along with younger audiences that are just discovering blues and classic rock.
“I think every artist’s goal is to bring their music to a wider audience. I am always happy to see a wide demographic at my shows and I believe that by exposing new and younger listeners to the music it will continue to propel the (blues) genre forward and continue its growth.”
For more info visit: https://www.kennywayneshepherd.net/
About the Author: Linda Cain is the Founder/Managing Editor of Chicago Blues Guide
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