KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD

Kenny Wayne Shepherd, celebrated for his electrifying guitar skills and soulful blues vocals, has become a major figure in the modern blues-rock scene. With over two decades of experience, Shepherd has mesmerized audiences worldwide by blending classic blues with a modern edge.

WORDS: Colin Campbell IMAGES: Mark Selinger

In this interview, we explore the inspirations behind his latest album, Dirt On My Diamonds Volume 2, his journey as a self-taught musician, and his views on the evolution of the blues genre. Speaking with him via Zoom from his home in Tennessee, here’s what he had to say...

HOW DID YOUR RECENT U.S. TOUR GO?

We intentionally had a slow summer after working hard over the past two years, which allowed for some family time with my wife and kids. Despite the break, our recent shows were fantastic, with packed and excited crowds. We had a great time, and we’ll be back on the road next weekend for about ten days. I think we’ve struck a good balance between touring and family time. I’ve learned that five weeks is the maximum I can be away before needing to reconnect with the family. We generally keep tours to 2-3 weeks, maybe four, followed by a break to spend time at home before heading out again.

Tell Us About Your Background

My dad worked in radio, so I grew up in that environment. He was the programme director and on-air personality at the hottest station in town, which meant I was exposed to music 24/7. I attended every concert with his tickets and backstage passes, meeting lots of musicians and seeing behind the scenes of the touring industry. My first concert was Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker when I was just three years old, which sparked my love for the blues. I was exposed to all kinds of genres—country, rock, blues, funk. At four, I got my first toy guitar, but seeing Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble at seven was life-changing. It inspired me to play guitar with the same passion and intensity as Stevie. I got my first electric guitar at seven, played for hours every day, performed on stage at 13, recorded my first demo at 14, formed a band at 15, signed a record deal at 16, and recorded my first album at 17. After graduating high school at 18, I hit the road, and the rest is history!

WHAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED AFTER 30 YEARS IN THE BUSINESS?

I love making music and entertaining people. Recording and writing are passions, but the real goal for me is being on stage and performing for people. That’s what drives me. We’ve built a fan base over 30 years, and many have been with us the whole time. At shows, I often ask how many in the audience have seen us before—usually about half the room—and how many are seeing us for the first time. That’s usually the other half, so we’re still reaching new people every night! That’s another thing that keeps me motivated—we’re constantly reaching new ears. We wouldn’t be here without the people who keep coming back, but it’s always amazing to meet new fans.

WHERE DID YOU LEARN YOUR STAGECRAFT?

I learned by watching all those bands as a kid and absorbing their performances. Initially, I was really shy, hiding behind my long blonde hair and focusing only on the guitar—there wasn’t much showmanship. But as my confidence grew, I became more comfortable on stage and started to entertain more. Influences include legends like James Brown, one of the greatest entertainers of all time, the Rolling Stones, and videos of Jimi Hendrix and all the wild things he’d do on stage. These experiences shaped how I work the stage and perform for the audience.

YOU’RE KNOWN AS A GUITARIST—WHEN DID YOU GAIN THE CONFIDENCE TO SING AS WELL?

I sang one song, Riverside, on my first album but was reluctant because my voice didn’t match my guitar abilities. When I sang, I sounded like a kid, unlike my guitar playing. I had high standards for my music, and my voice didn’t meet them. On later records, I sang background vocals, easing into it. By my fourth album, I felt it was time to give it a shot. Now, I sing 50% of the lead vocals, alongside Noah Hunt, whose different voice gives us a broader range of material to perform.

WHAT’S THE BEST CAREER ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

Stevie Ray Vaughan signed my first Stratocaster when I was thirteen. He wrote on it: “Kenny, just play it with all your heart.” That’s what I strive to do in all my shows. Another hero, Hubert Sumlin, said, “If I’m feeling it, then you have to feel it!”

YOU WERE ONCE THE NEW BREED OF BLUES MUSICIANS—ARE YOU NOW A BLUES LEGEND CARRYING THE GENRE FORWARD?

The reality is, if you’re lucky enough to live long enough, you inevitably become the older generation. It’s better than the alternative! Joe Bonamassa and I recently talked about how we’ve gone from being the young guys to becoming the older generation. It’s exciting to watch the next young generation come up, like Christone Ingram and DK Harrell. Now I understand why people like B.B. King were welcoming to us—they were happy to see young people contributing to the genre. I feel the same way now. It’s weird, though, as I used to be the youngest guy in my band, but now the horn players are younger than I am! I’ve used horns on a few songs over the years, but it really started on a more permanent basis with The Traveler album in 2019. It added a new dynamic to the stage and for the fans. We did the Trouble Is 25th anniversary tour with horns for part of it, and now I’ve included a lot of horns on the Dirt On My Diamonds albums.

HOW DID IT FEEL RE-RECORDING TROUBLE IS FOR ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY?

It was a trip down memory lane, bringing back so many memories for everyone, as we had almost the entire original group back together, except for Tommy Shannon. Everyone who played on that record played on the new version. I felt a deep sense of gratitude because we accomplished so much with that album. Songs like Blue on Black were incredibly important to so many people. Reflecting on it, I was 19 when it all happened—it’s incredible, and I’m truly grateful to have been a part of it.

HOW HAS YOUR MUSIC EVOLVED?

We experiment with all kinds of things, taking the music in many directions. But the blues is always the foundation of everything we do, and it always will be. If we stray too far from that, we inevitably come back and make a traditional blues album for those who want to hear us play just the blues. Blues rock seems to be the style that’s stuck, which makes sense as my early success was at rock radio. My first single reached number five on the mainstream rock charts, and Blue on Black set records for most weeks at number one on the mainstream rock chart. My inclination is to mix blues with rock, as they are directly related. Recent music shows a lot of different influences, including country, funk, and R&B. This diversity reflects all the music I grew up listening to and keeps things interesting. I aim for each record to surprise fans so they don’t feel like they already know what it’s going to sound like. Reflecting on the industry, I feel torn because I got in right at the end of what I think was the golden age of making records and the radio industry. It was an exciting time. Now, it’s hard to quantify success with the complicated math of today’s music industry!

WHAT WAS THE PROCESS BEHIND MAKING DIRT ON MY DIAMONDS VOLUME 2?

I had written a lot of songs and started recording, realising two different albums were taking shape. Instead of releasing them as two completely separate albums, I thought it would be more compelling to make them companion pieces and release them as Volume 1 and Volume 2 within 12 months. This approach is about doing something different and engaging the fans in new and different ways. Nowadays, it’s all about providing your fans with more content on a more regular basis, often with singles. However, I believe in making albums that take people on a musical journey. Releasing singles feels like releasing one chapter at a time from a book, or one scene at a time from a movie. Despite the trend, I like albums and hope listeners will listen to the record from beginning to end. My songwriting process varies with every song, but 90% of the time it starts with the music, whether it’s a guitar riff or a groove. Then we’ll sit down with the people I write with and start honing in on the lyrics and vocal melody. But most of the time, I’ll just walk in the room and start playing, “Hey, what do you guys think of this?” If everyone digs it, we start working on that.