Kenneth Wayne Shephard

Posted in MusicWorld on October 31, 1999 by Bruce Britt

Is Kenny Wayne Shepherd heir to Stevie Ray Vaughan’s blues-rock throne?

Shepherd has helped fill the void left in the wake of Vaughan’s 1991 demise. On his 1995 Giant Records debut album Ledbetter Heights, Shepherd demonstrated a gut-wrenching guitar technique and bluesy songwriting style that belied his age (18). In 1997, the Louisiana guitarist scored another coup with his sophomore album, Trouble Is . . ., which sold over a million copies, topped the blues charts, won two 1998 Billboard Music Awards and a 1999 Grammy Nomination.

Now, with the recent release of his third album, Shepherd is poised for the sort of crossover success most blues artists only dream of. With its slash-and-burn guitars and southern folk flourishes, Live On bears eloquent testament to Shepherd’s musical skills. Original compositions like “In 2 Deep,” “Shotgun Blues” and “Wild Love” combine the bluesiness and ornery lyricism of Howlin’ Wolf with the hard rocking twang of the Allman Brothers. While some purists have attempted to dismiss Shepherd as a Jimi-come-lately, the guitarist insists fans are accepting him on his own terms. “People are appreciating me more as an artist,” Shepherd says. The 22 year-old picker is known by the company he keeps: Shepherd has performed or recorded with a plethora of blues and rock titans, including B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Charlie Musselwhite, and James Cotton, among others. “Live On” features guest performances by former Stevie Ray Vaughan accompanists Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon and Reese Wynans. Shepherd may have received his biggest vote of confidence when funk pioneer James Brown declared him “one of the wonders of the world.” Flattering words for a blues prodigy whose creative journey has just begun.

SOURCEMusicWorld TAGS Blues Folk Rock Musicworld Hitmaker Artists James Brown B.B. King