Have you ever met people whose warmth, power and presence were so charismatic you could feel it even through a Zoom call? That’s what occurred when Blues Blast Magazine had the opportunity recently to interview living legend Bobby Rush and superstar guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
Singer and harmonica player, Bobby Rush, is long known for his unique blend of old-school blues and soul, and for his energetic performances, which often feature female dancers including the now well-known “Mizz Lowe”. At age 91, Bobby is not slowing down one bit. In fact, he appears to be speeding up. This multiple Grammy Award and multiple Blues Music Award winner (and inductee into both the Blues Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Musicians’ Hall of Fame) has been involved in numerous projects in the last five years. In 2019, he was featured in a cameo role in the film Dolemite is My Name, which starred Eddie Murphy. And in 2021, he published his memoirs in a book called Í Ain’t Studdin’ You. In 2024, Rush released the album All My Love for You, which won a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album, and he joined Bob Corritore to record a re-interpretation of his classic song, “I’ve Got Three Problems” on Corritore’s Doin’ the Shout! Album. The current year finds Bobby joining forces with guitar master Kenny Wayne Shepherd for both an exciting new album called Young Fashioned Ways, and a 17-date tour.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd seemed destined for glory since appearing on the blues-rock scene at the age of only thirteen. Within two years he had formed his own band, pairing his undeniable guitar talent with the hauntingly beautiful vocals of Noah Hunt. Through the years, Kenny has clarified his musical vision, and has made some powerful additions to his band, such as Joe Krown on keyboards, Doug Woolverton (from Roomful of Blues and the Victor Wainwright Band) on Trumpet, and Charlie DiPuma on saxophone to form a bigger band sound. He also participated in a project with Stephen Stills and Barry Goldberg, forming a supergroup known as “The Rides”. Kenny, a five-time Grammy Award nominee, has released 17 albums and was quickly considered an icon in the blues rock world for his impressive, yet restrained guitar style. Like Bobby Rush, these past few years have also been a very busy time for Kenny. He recently released the second volume of his Dirt on My Diamonds album and, in addition to touring with his own band, he has appeared in the Experience Hendrix Tour. The Experience Hendrix tour features a star-studded combination of guitar virtuosos honoring the memory of the great Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix was one of Kenny’s main early influences and he was invited to join the tour.
“Yes, Hendrix was one of my biggest musical influences when it comes to playing guitar. The Hendrix Estate puts on this concert with a lot of really great guitar players paying tribute. So, I’ll be out for a couple of weeks doing that. I do have such a great time doing that tour, but most importantly, it is a way of getting my hands warmed up for the tour with Mr. Rush. You know–so, I’ll be nimble and can keep up with him on stage when we hit the road.”
In his book, Bobby has written about growing up initially working in the cotton fields, during the era of segregation and racial prejudices. He was hired for one show where he was required to perform behind a curtain because the white audience did not want to see the color of his skin. He has also endured numerous tragedies, including the deaths of his first wife and three children due to sickle cell anemia. Kenny is 47 years of age and grew up with a father who worked as a musical promoter. That led to Kenny attending his first concert (Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker) at age three and having the opportunity to meet artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan while he was still a child. Due to their obvious differences in age and life experiences, a joint collaboration might not seem to be an obvious choice. However, Bobby explained that he and Kenny actually had much in common.
“We’re both from Louisiana, and we both started young. I started at fifteen years of age and had to paint a moustache on my face to get into the venues. I was hanging around with guys who were around 25, and Kenny started even younger than fifteen, and he was hanging out with older guys as well.” Kenny added, “when I put my band together at age fifteen, we had to get the law changed. At that time, in Louisiana, they wouldn’t let anyone under the age of eighteen perform in clubs. So, we had to get that done just to play.”
Additionally, Kenny has consistently noted the importance of showing respect for the pioneers of the blues, making it less surprising to think of him joining forces with Rush. Both Bobby and Kenny seemed equally excited about this collaboration, which was an idea that came to the two of them nearly simultaneously when they had the chance to briefly be onstage together at Kenny’s festival, The Backroads Blues Festival. Kenny explained how it occurred.
“We both had the same idea at the same time. I brought it up to Bobby as soon as we got off stage. I said that I thought we should make an album together, and he said that he was thinking the same thing. I think it was just the chemistry that we had onstage that made us realize that. He just got up and took over and was doing his thing. and I felt like his thing complimented my thing. There was just this chemistry between us and the audience was eating it up–they were loving it! So, I thought there might be something here, and that one conversation was really all it took. The plans started moving forward with us figuring out how to get in the studio.”
The album, titled Young Fashioned Ways, features some songs co-written by them specifically for the album, and a few re-interpretations of classic Bobby Rush songs. At times Kenny came up with the melody first, but for other songs, he composed music to fit with lyrics written by Bobby Kenny had not previously heard the classic Rush songs, so his vision for the songs was not contaminated by prior expectations. Kenny explained how the album was recorded spontaneously and how, despite the fact that he has recently been singing lead vocals much more often in his shows, he did not wish to sing on this collaboration.
“We went into the studio without much of a plan, and we just let the whole thing happen organically. I did know one thing for sure, though. I was not going to sing a single song on this record, because when you put my voice up next to his voice, well, in my opinion there is just no comparison. When it comes to singing the blues, I’m going to leave that to Bobby. I’ll play it on guitar all day long, but I’m going to leave the storytelling and the singing of the blues to Bobby, because he is 100 percent the real deal. “
Bobby’s vocals, storytelling, and performance skills are universally loved. Not everyone could get away with the sometimes highly sexualized use of female dancers, but even those who strongly pride themselves on their feminist beliefs can’t help but love Rush’s engaging performances. He recognizes and appreciates this fact.
“I’m glad people have accepted me for who I am. I’m just a blues singer—that’s what I do. I’m one of the few artists who crossed over and never crossed out. When I started to reach the white audience, I didn’t leave the black audience behind. And since we’ve been doing this album, I must have had 12-15 calls from Black radio stations who haven’t called me in twenty years, so I know we’re making an important statement.”
One of the songs from the album, Make Love to You, incorporates foot stomps and hand claps which make the listener feel almost is if they had been invited to a very special intimate jam session. Bobby noted that it was Kenny’s idea to record it that way.
“We were in the studio, and I was doing something I always do, and all of a sudden Kenny got people in the studio and myself clapping. That was his idea, and it worked. I had nothing to do with it.”
Another song from the album, Who Was That?, is being featured in the latest Mark Wahlberg film, “Flight Risk”. Kenny explained how that came to be.
“My father-in-law (Mel Gibson) directed that movie. He and I were talking about the songs on this album, and he was really interested in the concept of the album, and said he was considering some songs for the opening scene of the movie. He asked me to send him some songs once it was recorded, so I did. Then they sent me a video clip of the song in the background of the opening scene, and I thought it worked really well. It was as simple as that. Those people take the music for films very seriously. They don’t just throw something in—they have to think that it fits the scene and helps make the scene what it should be. We were just glad to have it in the movie. Sometimes it is with the little things that you might subliminally be planting a seed. Maybe some people might not have listened to the blues before, but they hear it in the movie and say, ‘What’s that song?’ and, before you know it, we may have just converted a new blues fan.”
Kenny’s musicianship has always been extremely impressive, but it is noticeable that he has recently connected much more personally with the audiences, allowing them to see some of his vulnerability. This makes his shows even more rewarding.
“That occurred just as natural evolution. There are some things in music and business that are calculated and there are some things you just let evolve. I used to be really shy. I had long hair, and I would let my hair hang down and I would hide behind my hair and not really look at the people because I was so shy. Then as I got older and more comfortable, I started looking at people and holding my head up. I gained confidence in myself based on what I’ve been doing. But even once I was no longer shy on stage, I still wasn’t very conversational. That has evolved over time too. I believe that people like to hear those stories. They like to hear what inspires the music. So, I’ve incorporated some of that into my show. It gives you a different kind of connection with the artist. You’re already connected with them through their music and then you get to hear them speak and you get to hear some of the stories of how some of y our favorite songs came to be. And there will definitely be some of that on this tour, because Bobby is such a great storyteller.”
Throughout the interview, it was clear how much mutual respect Bobby and Kenny had for each other. This respect influenced Kenny’s approach to the recording.
“Bobby has been doing this longer than I have been alive, so there was no way I was going to try to change him into anything other than what he is, because that’s what people fall in love with. I’ve seen it happen. He got on stage with us (at the Backroads Blues Festival), and you could just see the audience fall in love with him. Some of the people at the festival had never heard of him before, but within moments he had them in the palm of his hand. He’s worked his whole life to cultivate who Bobby Rush is as an artist, and it’s not up to me to mess with that at all. He was one of the originators, one of the guys who helped mold the music that I love so much.”
Bobby expressed his appreciation for that respect, and for the freedom not to have to conform.
“I know how blessed I am that Kenny would look at me and invite me to his stage and his life, and accept me for who I am. I want to let the world know that. I thank Kenny so much for embracing me. Muddy Waters didn’t get that when he came up, so it brings tears to my eyes. Coming from where I had come from, as a Black man, it brought tears to my eyes that he would have the love for me and my music.”
In addition to respecting each other’s talent, they both were impressed with the work ethic of the other. Bobby described Kenny’s skill at multi-tasking.
“You don’t know Kenny. This guy gets up and has the phone in one hand and the guitar in the other hand. He’s talking on the phone and rehearsing and watching the film from the latest video. This guy has got nineteen things going on at one time.”
Kenny noted, “I’m just trying to keep up with Bobby. He’s my hero now. If I’m blessed enough to live as long and as full a life as Mr. Bobby Rush has, I just hope to have a fraction of the energy that he has. I’ve never seen anybody work as hard as he does. He’ll outrun people decades younger than him. With his work ethic and what he does, he’s been a real inspiration to me. Look, my dad can’t keep up with him, and he’s much younger. Bobby is blessed in many ways.”
When asked what audiences can expect from their joint tour, Kenny explained that not all of the details have yet been worked out, and the format might happen just as organically as the album recording did.
“We did some rehearsals, but everything is in flux until we get out there. Right now, the plan is that Bobby and I will get together and open the show together in a very stripped-down type of format, just like on the record. And we’ll play a bunch of songs from this record and give people that part of the experience. Then, we’ll probably have an intermission, and I’ll come out with the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band and do more of the big band production things. Then we’ll bring Bobby back out and do a big encore. At least that is the plan for the theater shows. There’s going to be some festival dates where we can’t do an intermission, so that set will be different. It will probably be sometime more similar to what we did at the Backroads Blues Festival, where Bobby comes up and joins my band. But no matter what, it’s going to be a unique experience. There’s going to be some Bobby Rush fans coming, and some Kenny Wayne Shepherd fans coming, and we want all of those fans to have a unique experience and see something that they’ve never seen before.”
Bobby agreed, noting, “I feel the same way. I just want this to happen. I don’t want there to be a separation on the stage. I want there to be this lovey thing because I have love for Kenny, and he has love for me, and we have respect for each other. He’s got this Texas sound and also has this Muddy Waters sound, and the Hendrix sound, and now he has the Bobby Rush sound. That’s a wide range! I want it to be like we’re one unit. We may have to tweak it. We don’t know where we’re going to—we’ll just have to find out.”
Many people say the blues is dying, but Kenny does not believe that to be true. However, he does want to do his part to make sure the blues stays alive.
“People keep talking about trying to keep the blues alive. We’re trying to keep it alive, but, in my opinion, the blues has never been on life support. It’s already 100 years old and there are still new artists picking it up and breathing life into it. We’re doing our part to continue the heritage and the history and also pushing the genre forward. I think it’s important for young people to come in and experiment with it and try to come up with new sounds. It’s important to maintain the traditional art form, but I believe it’s also important for artists to take the blues and try different sounds and push it in different directions. That’s the way you will potentially reach new listeners. The goal for me is to grab some of those people who maybe hadn’t heard of the blues and bring them into the blues community and turn them on to the people that inspired me. The best possible thing for the genre is for people to hear artists like Bobby Rush. He is still performing at an incredibly high level, but he is part of the generation that cultivated this music. I know the talent I see in him, and I believe in the talent I see in myself, so the goal is just how to bring those two personalities together.”
Both Bobby and Kenny suggested that there is the strong possibility of a second album and tour, and both described their collaboration as “definitely one of the best things in my life.” Blues fans should not miss the opportunity to experience this unique and power pairing. You can find out more about Bobby Rush and Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s tour dates, as well as purchase albums and see the tour dates for the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band at www.KennyWayneShepherd.net. You can also learn more about Bobby Rush at www.BobbyRushbluesman.com.
