Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Kenny Wayne Shepherd (born Kenneth Wayne Brobst; June 12, 1977) is an American guitarist. He has released several studio albums and experienced significant commercial success as a blues rock artist.

Early life Shepherd was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He graduated from Caddo Magnet High School in Shreveport. He is "completely self-taught", and does not read music. Growing up, Shepherd's father (Ken Shepherd) was a local radio personality and part-time concert promoter, and had a vast collection of music. Kenny received his first "guitar" at the age of three or four, when his grandmother purchased a series of several plastic guitars for him with S&H Green Stamps, which he has said he would "go through like candy". On May 31, 2019, Shepherd released The Traveler on Concord Records and Mascot Label Group in Europe. The album, like the previous release Lay It On Down, was co-produced by Marshall Altman. The Traveler was chosen as a Favorite Blues Album by AllMusic. Shepherd headlined the 2020 Mahindra Blues Festival, along with Buddy Guy, Larkin Poe and Keb Mo.

In March 2021, the Blues Foundation revoked Kenny Wayne Shepherd's 2021 Blues Music Awards nomination for Best Blues/Rock Artist. According to a statement from the organization, the decision was "based upon continuing revelations of representations of the Confederate flag on Shepherd's 'General Lee' car, guitars and elsewhere." After Shepherd procured the car and a custom guitar with the flag emblazoned on it in 2015, he explained "The confederate flag can be controversial, but not in this case." Following the rebuke from the Blues Foundation, Shepherd acknowledged the offensiveness of the flag, saying, "Years ago I put that car in permanent storage and some time ago, I made the decision to permanently cover the flag on my car because it was completely against my values and offensive to the African American community which created the music I love so much and I apologize to anyone that I have unintentionally hurt because of it." The organization also asked Shepherd's father, Ken Shepherd, to step down as a member of its board of directors. Ken Shepherd declined to comment on being asked to step down.

On December 2, 2022, Shepherd released Trouble Is... 25, a complete re-recording of his second album for its 25th anniversary. The album includes a never-before-heard cover of Bob Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man."

November of 2023 saw the release of Dirt on My Diamonds Vol. 1 which was produced by Shepherd and Marshall Altman. The album debuted at #1 on the Blues charts. It was followed up in September of 2024 with Dirt on My Diamonds Vol. 2, which also debuted at # 1 on the Blues Charts.

The Rides In 2013, Shepherd, along with Stephen Stills (Crosby, Stills & Nash) and Barry Goldberg (The Electric Flag), formed The Rides. They released their debut album Can't Get Enough on August 27, 2013. Stills refers to the band as "the blues band of my dreams." The band toured the US in 2013, supporting their debut record, culminating with an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The three reunited in 2015 for a follow-up album, Pierced Arrow (2016), released on 429 Records and Mascot Label Group in Europe.

Personal life Shepherd married Hannah Gibson, the eldest daughter of actor Mel Gibson, on September 16, 2006.

Live performances 2019 touring with Buddy Guy Shepherd and his band teamed up with vocalist Beth Hart and her band in a double-headliner tour along the US east coast in Summer 2018. Shepherd was the opening act for Van Halen on their 1998 tour and again on their Van Halen 2015 North American Tour. Shepherd undertook a double-headliner tour in Summer 2015 with Jonny Lang. Shepherd made a trip of ten days in the US 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, and the Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters Bands. This effort would later become his fifth album, 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads. 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. He was the 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. He has also opened for Aerosmith, Bob Dylan, the Eagles (originally on the Hell Freezes Over Tour), and Van Halen. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon performance, Nov 2010 – Shepherd sat in with house band, playing the actual white Stratocaster Jimi Hendrix used during his historic performance at Woodstock. On January 15, 2011, Shepherd performed a live set for "Guitar Center Sessions" on DirecTV. The episode included an interview with Shepherd by program host, Nic Harcourt.

Discography

Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications US USBlues AUS NZ SWE SWI UK Ledbetter HeightsReleased: September 19, 1995 Label: Giant Formats: CD, CS 108 1 — 25 — — —RIAA: Platinum Trouble Is...Released: October 7, 1997 Label: Revolution/Giant Formats: CD, CS 74 1 57 36 — — —RIAA: Platinum Labels: Concord and Provogue/Mascot Label Group Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 34 1 — — — 27 100 The TravelerReleased: May 31, 2019 Labels: Concord and Provogue/Mascot Label Group Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming 103 1 — — — 12 94 Trouble Is... 25Released: December 2, 2022 Label: Provogue/Mascot Label Group Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming — — — — — — — Dirt on My Diamonds Vol. 1Scheduled: November 17, 2023 Label: Provogue/Mascot Label Group Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming — — — — — 44 — Dirt on My Diamonds Vol. 2Scheduled: September 20, 2024 Label: Provogue/Mascot Label Group Format: CD, LP, digital download, streaming — — — — — — — "—" denotes a release that did not chart.

Live albums Title Album details Peak chart positions US USBlues USRock Live! in ChicagoReleased: September 27, 2010 Label: Roadrunner Formats: CD 114 1 42Straight to You: LiveReleased: November 27, 2020 Label: Provogue Formats: CD+DVD — — — "—" denotes a release that did not chart.

EPs Title EP details King's Highway EPReleased: October 7, 1997 Label: Reprise Formats: CD, CS, DI

Singles Year Song Peak chart positionsCertifications AlbumUS USMain. Rock 1995 "Déjà Voodoo" — 9 Ledbetter Heights 1996 "Born with a Broken Heart" — 15 "Aberdeen" — 23 1997 "Slow Ride" — 3 Trouble Is... 1998 "Somehow, Somewhere, Someway" — 3 "Blue on Black" 78 1 RIAA: Platinum "Everything Is Broken" — 10 1999 "In 2 Deep" — 5 Live On 2000 "Was" — 9 "Last Goodbye" — 14 2004 "Alive" — 13 The Place You're In 2005 "The Place You're In" — 30 2011 "Never Lookin' Back" — 36 How I Go "Come on Over" — — 2014 "You Can't Judge a Book By the Cover" — — Goin' Home 2020 "Christmas Must Be Tonight" — — "Cool Yule" — — "Zat You Santa Claus" — — 2021 "Hit 'Em Back" — — 2022 "True Lies" — — Trouble Is... 25 "Ballad of a Thin Man" — — "—" denotes a release that did not chart.