Kenny Wayne Shepherd

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Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Kenny Wayne Shepherd live in 2005
Background information
Birth name	Kenny Wayne Brobst
Born	June 12, 1977 (1977-06-12) (age 32) Shreveport, Louisiana
Genres	Blues, Blues-rock
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1990-present
Labels	Giant Records
Associated acts	Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band G3
Website	Official Website
Notable instruments
Fender Stratocaster

Kenny Wayne Shepherd (born Kenny Wayne Brobst, on June 12, 1977, Shreveport, Louisiana^[1]) is an American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has released several studio albums and experienced a rare level of commercial success both as a blues artist and a young musician.^[2] In 1997, Guitar World ranked Shepherd #3 after B.B. King and Eric Clapton on their list of popular blues artists.^[3]

Biography

Shepherd attended Caddo Magnet High School in Shreveport, Louisiana. Self-taught, he began playing at age seven, learning Muddy Waters licks from his father's record collection. At the age of thirteen, Shepherd was invited onstage by the New Orleans bluesman Bryan Lee. After proving his abilities, he decided on music as a career. Demo tapes were made and a two camera video was shot at Shepherd's first performance at the Red River Revel Arts Festival in Shreveport. It was this video performance that impressed Giant Records chief Irving Azoff enough to sign Shepherd to a multiple album record deal.

Shepherd took six singles into the top 10 and holds the record for the longest running album on the Billboard Blues Charts with Trouble Is.... He has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, received two Billboard Music Awards and two Orville Gibson awards, and has sold millions of CDs.

In September 2008, Fender Musical Instruments Corp. released the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Series Stratocaster, designed exclusively by Shepherd. Most recently, he developed a unique DVD/CD project, 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads. This documents Shepherd as he travels the country to jam with and interview the last of the authentic blues musicians. As they tour the backroads, Shepherd, with members of the Double Trouble Band, play with a host of blues greats including Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Bryan Lee, Buddy Flett (with whom he jams at Lead Belly's grave), the great B.B. King, blues harp master Jerry "Boogie" McCain, Cootie Stark, Neil Pattman, John Dee Holeman, Etta Baker, Henry Townsend with Honeyboy Edwards, and a concert session with the surviving members of Muddy Waters' and Howlin' Wolf's bands.

Personal life

Shepherd married actor Mel Gibson's oldest daughter, Hannah Gibson, on September 16, 2006,^[4] and they now have two children, the oldest child being a girl (born October 10, 2007).^{[5] [6]}

Live performances

• Shepherd made a trip of ten days in the U.S. to meet and play with his idols: B.B. King, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins, Henry Townsend, Honeyboy Edwards, Cootie Stark, Neal Pattman, Etta Baker, Jerry "Boogie" McCain, Buddy Flett, Bryan Lee, John Dee Holeman, The Howlin' Wolf and the Muddy Waters Band.
• Shepherd and Bryan Lee appeared as the musical guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on February 14, 2007.
• On July 24, 2007, he opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Orange County Fair.
• Opening act for The Rolling Stones during a stint of their 1999 No Security tour.
• Shepherd performed some of his songs including a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child" at the Dutch Mason Blues Festival in 2007 and 2009.
• Has also opened for Aerosmith, Bob Dylan, the Eagles and Van Halen.
• On September 12, 2009, he played at the Union County Music Festival in Clark, New Jersey, closing with an impressive cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child".

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

External links

• The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Information Center - Official website
• Ten Days Out
• Shepherd biography at Allmusic website