← Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Kenny Wayne Shepherd-Music History on Foot with Buzz Knight Blues, Guitars and Inside Bob Dylan Stories-Replay
00:39:22
Loading summary
Transcript61 lines
- [00:00]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
- [00:05]
Reese Witherspoon
Picture this. Me, Reese Witherspoon in London, ordering fish and chips so often they might start wrapping me in paper. I'm traveling with my Wells Fargo autograph journey card, so I earn rewards wherever I book. Travel five times points with hotels, four times with airlines, three times on restaurants and other travel, and one point on other purchases. Imagine getting rewarded for eating a toad in the hole. Wait, what is a totem hole?
- [00:29]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Visit wells fargo.com autographjourney Terms apply.
- [00:34]
Walton Goggins
So you want to start a business? You might think you need a team of people and fancy tech skills, but you don't. You just need godaddy Arrow. I'm Walton Goggins, and as an actor, I'm an expert in looking like I know what I'm doing. Godaddy Arrow uses AI to create everything you need to grow a business. It'll make you a unique logo, it'll create a custom website, it'll write social posts for you, and even set you up with a social media calendar. Get started@godaddy.com Arrow that's godaddy.com Air O.
- [01:05]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Taking a walk, you know, going to school and coming home from school. And rather than, like, doing what all the other kids were doing after school, I would go straight to my house and pick up my guitar and sit down in the living room or in my bedroom for hours and hours and hours every day playing the instrument, trying to figure out how to make it sound good.
- [01:25]
Walton Goggins
Welcome to the Taking a Walk podcast where your host, Buzz Knight talks with musicians about their inspirations, their music, and in today's case, what it means to be in the music business. Since he was a teenager. Blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Kenny Wayne shepherd joins Buzz today for a conversation about all things Kenny Wayne. Kenny and Buzz will get into everything from what it was like to have his first record out at 16 to his relationship with the late Eddie Van Halen and to what's going on in music today. Kenny's got a new project out called Dirt on My Diamonds Volume 2. He'll also chat with Buzz about that. Kenny Wayne shepherd joins Buzz Knight now on Taking a Walk.
- [02:09]
Buzz Knight
The great Kenny Wayne Shepard on Taking a Walk. Thanks, Kenny, for being on, man.
- [02:13]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Thanks for having me.
- [02:15]
Buzz Knight
So tell me how your father had an influence on you as a musician and as a person.
- [02:23]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Well, I mean, my dad was a disc jockey. Well, he was a jack of many trades or he is. I mean, he's not like he's. He's still with us, so, you know, don't want to refer to him in the past tense, but back when I was a kid, he was a disc jockey, program director, general manager of a variety of different radio stations in my hometown over the years. And so I grew up around music my whole life. And my mom was a big music fan as well. So, you know, between the two of them, we had music playing around the house all the time, in the car, everywhere we went, and all different kinds of music too. So my dad, you know, would play country music and then we listen to rock, you know, James Brown and funk and R B and jazz and just everything under the sun. And, you know, because he was at the radio station, those guys usually get tickets and backstage passes to all the hot concerts that come through town. So, you know, we always got to go see bands play, and I'd get to go backstage and kind of see the behind the scenes of the touring world and meet a lot of famous musicians when I was a kid. And so all of that stuff, the absorption of music and the exposure to the touring industry, all of that was. I was soaking that up and it was all going to contribute to who I would eventually be as a professional recording and touring artist. But at that age, nobody had a clue at that point.
- [03:53]
Buzz Knight
So the first moment that you were watching a performance by somebody that just knocked your socks off, who was it?
- [04:01]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Well, there's a number of different performers. You know, when I was a kid, I saw, like I said, I mean, so many different people. I mean, I remember going to Hank Williams Jr. Concert Melon Way because he was a country guy that rocked. You know, I remember seeing James Brown many, many times and just, I mean, he was one of the greatest entertainers on the planet, but two completely different types of performers. You know, a life changing moment for me was getting to meet and watch Stevie Rape on play for the first time when I was around 7 years old. So that's really what lit the fire at me and gave me like this, you know, relentless determination to learn the instrument because I wanted to figure out how to play with that kind of passion and intensity that he played with. So, I mean, there was a number of performers that really impressed me and had an impact on.
- [04:52]
Buzz Knight
It's a pretty impressive list so far. I mean, right?
- [04:56]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Yeah, and the list and the list goes on, but those are just some of the ones off the top of my head that are very, very different musical genres and different types of performers. But I kind of took something away from each one of them.
- [05:08]
Buzz Knight
So would, at the age of 16, intensely fueled your Your deep emotional, you know, connection with music and how it all manifested itself into your, your brilliance. What was going on as a 16 year old that really, like, you know, made you sound like you were way wiser than that those years?
- [05:35]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Well, I don't. I'm not exactly sure, you know, because I had the Child Prodigy label put on me, which is like, fine. I mean, looking back, I go, yeah, it's not normal. It's not typical for a kid that young to be playing that kind of music that way. So at the time I really didn't think much of it. Like, I really didn't have any idea what they were talking about because I was just playing guitar and I just loved playing the instrument. But I think as a, as a teenager, you know, there's so much going on in young people's lives, more now than ever, to be honest with you, in the world we live in. But really, like, as a teenager going through so many changes, trying to figure out who you are, where you fit in your first experiences with love and relationships and things like that. But like, I always found, like, comfort in the instrument. And so that was where I just felt completely at home was, you know, going to school and coming home from school. And rather than like doing what all the other kids were doing after school, I would go straight into my house and pick up my guitar and sit down in the living room or in my bedroom for hours and hours and hours every day playing the instrument, trying to figure out how to make it sound good. And I think there was just great satisfaction in that. And it was like my companion that was kind of like the, you know, the friend you could always rely on. And so it ended up giving me an identity and a purpose, I think, at a very young age, which is not common, I mean, you know, because I signed my record deal when I was 16 and I started recording my first album when I was 17. And that's very abnormal. But it gave me a lot of things that I think were really important to me as a teenager at the time and certainly have served me well through my adult life.
- [07:31]
Buzz Knight
And I know then you really became a student of so much of the, the genre of blues and so many individuals. And you obviously were swept away, like we all still are, by Jimi Hendrix. Can you talk about that influence?
- [07:48]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Yeah. Well, Jimi Hendrix was fascinating to me because, you know, his musical ideas were incredibly, I don't know, it was like, groundbreaking, especially if you consider the time, the era in which he was making music, when all that stuff, I mean, rock and Roll was evolving. It was a relatively new genre of music. And. But if you at the same time consider how limited they were with the technology, right There's, I mean, multi track record recording hadn't even been around for all that long in the overall scheme of things. And you know, the guitar pedals, the effects that you could use. And in the studio you kind of had like delay and reverb and compression and then, you know, for pedals, I think there's a handful of effects pedals for guitar players and Jimmy probably had all of them, you know, but like what he was able to create and the sounds he was able to come up with in the studio, that hadn't necessarily been done before or hadn't been heard like that before. It's just really impressive. And also if you look back, back and you go, wow, even to this day, I don't know that anybody's. I mean he, he hasn't really been outdone. His music still sounds groundbreaking, you know, even to this day, and it still continues to influence new generations of musicians. So it's pretty remarkable. But the thing that he did most for me was he. It's like he gave me permission. By listening to his music, you could tell that like he, he was very blues based in his playing and in his music that he created. But he didn't just stop right there. He took it and ran with it and took it into so many different directions and. And it kind of gave me permission to do the same thing. You know, it's like to not be boxed into one particular category, not have to keep my music confined to one particular space, but to kind of take elements of all the things that I had been exposed to and combine them and try and, and create something that sounds a little bit different.
- [09:51]
Buzz Knight
I'm not even thinking you've tapped that completely. I know you're completely open to different places. Your example, collaboration with Five Finger Death Punch. And I just have a sense with you and the way you think about it and by your comments about Jimmy's influence, we haven't even seen the beginning of your work.
- [10:14]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Well, I certainly feel like there's more to be said and more music to be created and more learning to be done as far as being a student of the instrument. But yeah, I just don't. I just know that like, in order to keep the music genre relevant, you have to continue to innovate and you have to continue to do things differently. Otherwise it just all becomes too predictable. And so I like the idea that like when, when you Hear that a Kenny Wayne shepherd album is coming out. I would venture to guess most people aren't entirely sure what it's going to sound like before they hear it, you know, because they know, and I think they trust that as an artist, I'm going to pursue whatever inspiration comes up in the moment. And so each album, I mean, there are certain common themes and there's common elements to my music going all the way back to the first album. But, I mean, you listen to some of the songs on my newest albums, Dirt on My Diamonds Volume one and now Volume two, that just came out. I mean, you're hearing things that you've elements in those songs that you haven't heard from me ever before. And so that's just a sign that I'm continuing to try new things and continuing to try and break new ground for me and my band. And it's all in an effort to keep the music and the genre evolving, you know, because that's what's important. So on.
- [11:39]
Buzz Knight
On Volume one, I love the collaboration with Davy Johnston. And on Saturday nights. All right, for fighting, tell me about your past relationship with him and what it was like collaborating on that.
- [11:53]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Well, we didn't actually collaborate on it. Like, I. I had a moment with. So I texted him because he's a friend of mine and he's a great guy and a great guitar player. And I just said I was in the studio and I say, we're about to cover one of your guys, so. And I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to really. I didn't want to mess it up. And it's got some tricky little things in there. And so I knew that as a. Like a backup plan, if I had to, like, pull a Hail Mary, I just let him know that I might be calling them and asking him to come down and play guitar on it if I didn't feel that I was doing it justice. But the end result, I was happy with. And so, you know, he never ended up needing to come into the studio as a favor for me. So, um. But no, it was great. I mean, he's. He's one of those guitar players, like, you know, you just. I think, you know, musicians are well aware of his talents, but, you know, you just don't hear his name brought up enough, in my opinion, you know, because he's incredible and played so many iconic guitar parts on so many legendary songs over the years, and so. But as a human being, he's one of the greatest guys I know.
- [13:03]
Buzz Knight
So what varied, if Anything in the creative process from volume one to volume two?
- [13:10]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Not much. I mean, we record a lot of this stuff. It was written and recorded right around the same time. So what happened was, is, like, I had all these songs and we started recording them. And you know what? Generally, for me, I don't go in with a lot of preconceived ideas, and my demos are always very basic. It's like acoustic guitar and a vocal and that's it. Because I can kind of hear in my head what I think the song needs to sound like. And I. And I'm a real fan of the old school way of making records where I believe, like, going into the studio is where the magic is supposed to happen. So I leave a lot of. I don't go in with a bunch of tracks that I put together at my house and then telling everybody what exactly what to play. It's like we. We create the songs in the studio. But anyways, as you're doing that, then you start to. You start to listen back to what you've done, and I go, oh, this song's really speaking to me. And that song's really speaking to me. Me. And after you get about three songs you feel very sure about, then you see the album start to take a direction, and then you look at the rest of the material that you have and you. Which other songs kind of complete that musical statement. And so I did that, and then I said, okay. And then I looked at everything else that I had, and I. And I was like, well, we have two albums worth of material here. And then it just became, you know, a question of how do I want to release this stuff? And again, I'm always looking for new ways or different ways of doing things. So we decided. I thought it would be a compelling idea to do it kind of like a double album. But instead of releasing them together at the same time, stagger the releases, make them companion pieces. But it is the first time we've ever put out two albums of new material in less than 12 months from one another. So. And it keeps the fans engaged and it gives us new music to play. This year, we were featuring in the show, we were featuring songs from volume one. And then now that Volume two has just come out, then that sets us up for the tour for next year. And I also believe that, like, you know, each one of these albums is eight songs long. And I started doing some research and, you know, some of the most iconic albums ever recorded have eight songs on them because it goes back to the days when Vinyl albums, like that was the main way that people consume music. And if you don't know, like, you can only put so much music on each side of a vinyl record. If you put too much on there, it starts degrading the quality of audio. So it generally works out to be about four songs per side. And so that's why some of the albums back in the day were eight songs. So. And then in today's world where there's so many things that are competing for our attention and so many distractions followed, social media, television commercials, jobs, everything, it's like so many things are coming at us. It's, it's almost unrealistic, like to expect people to be able to sit down and listen to an album that has 10 or 12 or 14 or 16 songs in one sitting. And my goal as an artist is I still like to make records, not just songs, because I want to take people on a journey and I want them to have an experience. So an eight song record, if you live in a major city, you could actually get in the car, put the record on, on your way to work and probably get through the whole thing by the time you get through all the traffic and make it to your job. Or if you're going on a road trip, you can put the record on and hear it from start to finish before you have to pull it over for a bathroom. So it's kind of like trying to, to hedge my bets of, you know, a quality product. There's no filler, there's no songs on there just to fill spaces. Every song that's on there has a legitimate purpose, but it's also hedged my bets on the best possible way to get somebody to be able to hear the entire experience from start to finish.
- [17:06]
Buzz Knight
Can you talk about your process of the way you order an album and put, you know, put it together, you know, in terms of track by track, how much contemplation goes into that and your thinking there?
- [17:19]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Yeah, a lot of it. I mean, there's a lot. That's another thing. It's why we want people to actually listen to the record is because we put a lot of effort in the order that the songs are in. And you consider like, first of all, like the first thing you need to do is figure out what's your first song, what's your opening statement, and then you can go from there. And then you consider, you know, the mood of the songs and you know, the emotional journey you want people to take. And then you also have to consider the keys that the Songs are in and the tempos, you know, and so you don't want to put a bunch of slow to or mid tempo songs all back to back. You want to break them up with the more uptempo songs and, and otherwise, you know, it's all about like, what's the experience of the listener and also what keeps it interesting and doesn't become boring. And then the keys have to work. One song has to flow into the next song. And so there's a number of things that are considered before we sign off on final track.
- [18:20]
Buzz Knight
All right, so close your eyes for a second. You're driving down the road. You're in your, let's say the 1970 Plymouth Duster and you got a long drive ahead and you need some good driving songs. What would be coming on the radio as you're driving that, that bad boy down the road?
- [18:40]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Well, for I have to be, if I'm being completely honest, for a lot of the trip I would just be listening to the sound of that V8 engine that's under the hood. Because that's music to my ears. But eventually I put some music on. I gotta tell you, like, one of my go to albums that always puts me in a good mood is this ZZ Top album called Fandango, which is like a half studio, half live album. And just some incredible performances on that record, especially the live music. And so like I, I just know like, if I'm kind of at a loss of what can I listen to right now that's going to be perfect? It's it, you know, that's an easy one to pull out and that just kind of gets the ball rolling.
- [19:27]
Buzz Knight
But I love how the sound of the car is such a driving force too.
- [19:31]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
That's beautiful. Yeah, absolutely.
- [19:34]
Buzz Knight
So I love your covers of Dylan. Ballad of a Thin man, certainly. And everything is Broken. Just really wonderful. Can you tell me about your time on the road with Bob and what you learned from being on the road with Bob Dylan?
- [19:55]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Well, yeah, so I did two different tours with Helen. My first album came out, I did an entire tour opening up for him. And then when the second album came out, did another tour opening up for him. And besides like watching him because, you know, he's an iconic musician and performer and songwriter, what I really learned about him, and this is just my experience, but like, he was like one of the first lessons that I learned about not taking on other people's opinions of someone because, just because someone had a certain experience with an individual, it doesn't mean that that's going to be my experience. And so. And a lot of times people want to tell you I'm speaking more like, of negativity, right? Like, you know, people are like, oh, you know, Bob, he doesn't want people looking at him. You know, he doesn't. You can't talk to him. You can't look his way if he's walking in the room or, you know, all these stories that you would hear people say. And I'm like, and so when I met him, he was the exact opposite. Like, he was so nice to me. He was so outgoing. Like, every single day, I did a sound check. He came out and watched my sound check. And then he came up on the stage after I was done, and he walked right up to me and he shook my hand. He would stand there and talk to me every day. And. And then at one point, he told me, he said, hey, man. He's like, I don't care if you have a new record coming out or if you're just working up some new material. You can come out on the road with me anytime. And. And it was just like, not any of the things that people had said about him. And a lot of times stories take on a life of their own, but, yeah, I was like, wow, you know, you can't listen to all that stuff. Like, you really have to treat every individual encounter as a unique situation that's between you and that person, because just because someone else might have had an experience and maybe you don't even know what they're telling you is entirely accurate. But that doesn't mean that's what my experience is going to be. And that was a big lesson. And I've learned that lesson many, many times over in the years that I've been doing what I do. And you hear all these outlandish stories about people, and then I meet them, and I'm like, this is not the same guy that they're trying to make him out to be. You know, I love that.
- [22:25]
Walton Goggins
We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [22:31]
Reese Witherspoon
Picture this Me, Reese Witherspoon in London, ordering fish and chips so often, they might start wrapping me in paper. I'm traveling with my Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card, so I earn rewards wherever I book travel five times points with hotels, four times with airlines, three times on restaurants and other travel, and one point on other purchases. Imagine getting rewarded for eating a toad in the hole. Wait, what is a toad in a hole?
- [22:55]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Visit Wells Fargo.com autographjourney Terms apply.
- [23:00]
Walton Goggins
So you Want to start a business? You might think you need a team of people and fancy tech skills, but you don't. You just need GoDaddy arrow. I'm Walton Goggins, and as an actor, I'm an expert in looking like I know what I'm doing. GoDaddy Arrow uses AI to create everything you need to grow a business. It'll make you a unique logo, it'll create a custom website, it'll write social posts for you, and even set you up with a social media calendar. Get started@godaddy.com Arrow that's godaddy.com Airo. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [23:37]
Buzz Knight
Tell me about playing with B.B. king. Did you find it particularly interesting that he never played chords?
- [23:45]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Oh, he would play chords. He would. He would play a phrase and then end it with a chord, you know. But what he. I guess the thing is, is that BB Never really played rhythm guitar. Like, he always weaved his guitar playing in and out in between him singing, but he always had such a big band backing him up that could fill in, you know, the musical gaps so well that, you know, it didn't beat it. And he had a rhythm guitar player as well, so. But that was his style. That's what really worked for him. And sometimes that's great. I wish that I could do that because it frees you up to focus more on your singing when you have to sing. But a lot of times I struggle with, like, other guitar players and the way they play certain parts. And, like, if I play all the guitar tracks on the record, so then when I'm performing, I want all those parts to sound exactly like I played them. And sometimes it's just not possible. So, like, it becomes a distraction to my ear sometimes if I hand over guitar parts to somebody else. And so as a result, there's just certain songs that I can't necessarily sing and play at the same time. So maybe those songs, if I'm the one doing the lead vocals, don't make it into the live show.
- [24:58]
Buzz Knight
Sometimes you played a lot of small venues, obviously, when you were starting out, and now you're not playing many small venues. Do you miss those places?
- [25:09]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
No. I mean, you can go back to any of those places anytime. I mean, I'll go sit in with friends that are doing gigs and bars and stuff like that whenever I have, you know, time to do that. I mean, and I don't know, I feel like I've played everything from, you know, little hole in the wall gigs to, you know, opening up for the Eagles and the Rolling Stones in front of 80,000 people. So every experience is. Is pretty cool in its own right. I mean, a lot of people like the small places because it feels more intimate, but I think the theaters is kind of where it's at. I think my fan base likes to have reserved seating. I don't think they want to be on their feet all night. You know, there's not a lot of times bar environments can be unpredictable. You throw a lot of alcohol in the equation, and, you know, the fireworks can go off. So, you know, the theaters and amphitheaters is kind of where it's at, for sure. I think, you know, it's. It's the nice middle ground between small places and the super big places.
- [26:12]
Buzz Knight
Tell me about your evolution. Ultimately, I think it was maybe 2019, if I'm not mistaken, where horns became more part of your presentation. Can you talk about that?
- [26:25]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Yeah, I. I used horns on a few songs here and there on different albums over the years. Not. Not really a lot, but I always liked the idea of horns. But I was doing the Traveler record, and a lot of that record is. Is pretty rocking, right? Like, we did a Buffalo Springfield song, Mr. Soul, we did a Joe Walsh cover. The opening track, woman like you, is pretty rock. And so there's. There's several songs on that record that rock pretty hard. And so I heard there was a song called I Want you, which is a pretty. If you asked me, like, what's my definition? What's the Kenny Wayne shepherd definition in one song of contemporary blues, I would play that song because, like, it has all the elements of, like, I think actual blues, not blues rock, but, like, modern. So I heard horns on that song. So I was like, well, let's bring these guys in and have them play horns on that song. And I was like, well, while we're here, let's see what it sounds like on this song or that song. And the next thing you know, I was like, wow, man. Let's see what it sounds like. Put them on almost every song. And it was really interesting, especially with the Mr. Soul, because that thing is really, really rock. And, you know, you wouldn't think about putting a horn section on a song that rocks like that. But it was actually a really cool experiment. Sounded great. And so because I had used them on so much of the record, then I decided I needed to bring horns.
- [27:54]
Walton Goggins
Out on the road.
- [27:54]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
And so then we took them out and we had a horn section on the road, and that was cool for us and for the fans. Too, because there's a lot of fans that have seen us many times over the decades, and it gives them a new experience in the live setting and us as well musically. So we've kind of continued that. There's horns all over the new record. Dirt on My Diamonds, both of them, Volume one and volume two. And. And, you know, it's cool. Like I said, it brings a different vibe to the band. And musically, every time you add or subtract an instrument to the band, then it affects every. All the other players, and so then you have to adjust accordingly. So it keeps everybody on their toes musically as well.
- [28:38]
Buzz Knight
Do you think sometimes there's too much perfection in the way things are produced these days in general?
- [28:46]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
No, no, because. No, because the. There's not. I mean, it depends on what you're talking about. But, like, pop music, like, the really popular stuff nowadays, they're not striving for perfection. Those people are like, a lot of it. I'm not saying anybody in particular, but, you know, when you hear these songs and pop music becomes so saturated that, like, you could hear, like, you could listen to the radio and you could hear, like, five different songs, and they all sound like they could be the same artist.
- [29:15]
Buzz Knight
Yep.
- [29:16]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
But different artists, that's the lowest common denominator. That's not striving for perfection. That's trying to cash in on. On what's trending. You know, it's not striving to be the best you can be. It's. So. No, I mean, you know, I do think that there are some artists certainly that are striving for. For perfection. And we kind of walk the. The line between, you know, being. We. We strive to be the best we can be on any given day. Right. But I also know, like, the. The hole that you can dig yourself if you start over analyzing things and going down the rabbit hole of, like, you know, trying to make things perfect. If you. Because if you try to make things perfect, then it also. It can possibly lose the realness in the music, you know, because. Because it's too perfect. So I embrace some of the flaws, and my goal, actually, for my band, I feel the best representation of what we do is to capture the essence of a live performance in the studio. So that means that, like, sometimes, you know, there may be a missed lick here and there or something is not perfect, but we got the vibe and the energy is there, and that's what's most important. And so that's the track that we're going to use.
- [30:41]
Buzz Knight
I love how you have the respect for, you know, so many of the greats, you know, before you and how you've never been bashful at shining a light on, you know, I, I'll just think of, you know, Pinetop Perkins as an example. And I think that's so sweet on how you've always approached the past and the history. But I think also just going back to what we talked about earlier, you're, you're, you know, open mindedness to other things that are part of the present as well that you really embrace. Is there anybody in the present that you embrace that you want to tell us about and shine a light on?
- [31:23]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Well, I think there's a lot of, there's a lot of good young talent out there and I don't, I'm aware of just about all of them because I like watching, you know, who's coming up next and, and it's also interesting to be on this side of the equation now because at one point I was like, you know, part of the generation that we were the new blood, we were the, the young guns, the up and comers. And now I'm transitioning into like, you know, I'm kind of becoming part of the older generation. I'm watching the new young generation come up. So. And it's nice to watch that because it brings back a lot of memories and it also helps me to, to feel, you know, reassured. I think like a lot of my heroes did, that the music is going to continue because there's new life being brought into it. But so there's a long list. I mean, just off the top of my head, some of the people out here on this Hendrix tour that I'm doing, Chris Stone, Kingfish Ingram, I mean, he's already made an incredible name for himself. Great player, great singer. Sorry. I think he's already won like two Grammys. I mean, you know, the guy's, he's an incredible musician and there's some ladies out there that are doing a killer job. I mean, shemeika Copeland, she's part of my generation, but like, I think she's incredible. And, and then you have Samantha Fish and she's just blazing hot and Ali Venable is, is blazing a trail for herself. And you know, there's, the list goes on and on. There's a lot of, but those are just a few off the top of my head.
- [32:52]
Buzz Knight
You had some great history with Van Halen, including, you know, touring obviously with them on, on the last tour. Can you talk about the experience of working with Van Halen?
- [33:03]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Yeah, well, so I mean, we have a lot of history. It's really interesting how far back our history goes, but I toured with Van halen in the 90s when they were Van Halen three and they had Gary Cherone as the lead singer. So that was my first tour with Van Halen. I did that whole tour with them. That's when Ed and I became friends and maintained a friendship all the way up until when he passed away. And so we did the 90s tour with them, and then we were asked to come back in 2015, and we did what was to be the last Van Halen tour ever, which nobody knew at the time, obviously, but spent a lot of time with him, especially in 2015, on that tour. Every day, every another, like Bob Dylan, like every day, Ed came and found me wherever I was at, and we sat and talked, and, you know, he always went out of his way to spend time with me and to make me feel important, and that was really special. And so he's another one of those guys where you can hear it just depends on who you're talking to. You know, it's like. And which side of the story that person was on. But, like, he had never. He could not have been nicer to me. And he never presented himself as anything other than a very, very kind person and really outgoing, like, in regards to sharing his time and his friendship with me, but backing all the way up. Like, our. Our families are kind of linked in a. In an interesting way, because my dad is the guy that actually brought Valerie Bertinelli and her brothers to their first Van Halen concert back in, like, the 1980s, when I was a kid, which is where. And he brought. He got them backstage to meet Van Halen. And that's the night that Valerie met Eddie Van Halen. And they start. And they. That was the beginning of their relationship. And so, you know, we actually. Our. Our paths are linked all the way back to when I was kid because of that. And it's kind of fascinating, if you look at that, you go, wow, there's that moment. And then, you know, in the 1990s, I'm out on the road with those guys, opening up for them. And then again in 2015, and, you know, got this friendship going with it. It's pretty interesting, you know, how intertwined to. To a certain degree our families are.
- [35:33]
Buzz Knight
Where have you got these amazing guitars that you have as part of your collection? The. The 61 Strat and the. I think there's a Monterey Strat. Where did you pick these up?
- [35:45]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
All different places yeah, it just depends on the guitar. But the 61 I got at the Guitar center in Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard. I guess I was probably 18 years old when I was finally able to buy that guitar. And then the Monterey strap, my dad gave that to me as a birthday present, I want to say when I was 19, maybe 20, but I think 19 and I mean every guitar has kind of a different story behind it. You know, I got a 50. Was it a 58 Strat? I was on the road with Van halen in the 90s and I did an in store autograph signing at a guitar center in Houston, Texas before the show that night. And once I finished signing all the autographs, I looked up on the wall and there was this mint condition 58 strat hanging on the wall to. So I left Guitar center with that guitar that night and proceeded to play it on the tour for the rest of the tour and for many years after that, still have that guitar. So everyone kind of has its own little special story. And you know, I've never sold any of my gear, so I kind of get, I don't know, I become sentimentally attached to my instruments and stuff because they all kind of have a certain experience attached to them.
- [37:00]
Buzz Knight
I think they're attached to you as well.
- [37:02]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Yeah, maybe so. You know, I think so.
- [37:05]
Buzz Knight
I. In closing, if there was a 16 year old up and coming musician who was just starting out, maybe who just got signed, what advice from your time would you give that individual on how they could kind of make it in this awesome business, but this difficult business?
- [37:27]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Well, the thing is, is there's so many things are so different today than they were when I was 16 and signed my record deal. When I was young, there was no such thing as the Internet. So the only way you could really get exposure was by getting out and putting a band together and playing, you know, these dive bars and, and just trying to build a name for yourself and a small fan base and some kind of momentum, you know. And so nowadays you have like social media and you know, every, and you can record stuff on your cell phone. Every computer comes with some kind of recording program in it. People are making records in their bedrooms. And so there's so many opportunities that are available to young artists today that didn't exist when I was Kim. But you know, the one thing that one thing that I think is really most important is I never got into playing music. I wasn't seeing dollar signs and, and music awards. You know, I was looking at people that, that were heroes to me. That inspired me and motivated me to try and make my instrument sound something like them. And I just got personal satisfaction out of that. Like, it genuine, genuinely made me happy, you know, putting in the work and then seeing it pay off where, like, I was trying so hard to play this slick, and finally I figured out how to do it, you know, and that accomplishment and then the next accomplishment, just learning how to play. And so that evolved into a career for me. And, you know, I've been able to do it now. I've gone on three decades and I've. And I. I got a loyal fan base and I'm grateful for all of that. I'm able to support my family doing what I love to do. But at the end of the day, it's like, especially with the social media and you start looking at the numbers and you start going, how many people are following me? And I posted up a clip of some music and how many people liked it? And it's like, it. They're good tools, but it's also a lot of ammunition to beat yourself up, you know, for. And, and for a lot of disappointment. And so at the end of the day, you know, I don't know what life would be like if it took a different path for me, because this is the path that I'm on. But. But I know that I just wasn't in the beginning. I wasn't concerned about all that. I wasn't even. I was just thrilled to have an opportunity to play my instrument. And so if you just play music for the love of playing music and that's your reason for doing it, then there won't be all this disappointment attached to it, you know, because you can still appreciate playing your instrument because of the. The personal satisfaction. And then if all that other stuff comes along with it, then that's just icing on the cake. And then you got to figure out how to navigate that when it comes. But I just feel like it. There's so many people that, like, this is the age of instant gratification, and you have to be patient and you have to just accept whatever is going to happen is. Is what's going to happen. And you just, you know, if you're going to pursue it, put your best into it, and if it works out, then that's fantastic. You have to give it a hundred percent minimum. But if it doesn't work out, that's okay too. Like, that's all right. Don't let it take away your joy of playing music.
- [41:00]
Buzz Knight
Keep slinging. Virtual high five. Kenny Wayne Shepard thanks for being on Taking a Walk, man. I really appreciate it.
- [41:07]
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Thank you.
- [41:09]
Walton Goggins
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.