For many teenagers, taking time out to travel and explore foreign countries after leaving school is a rite of passage.
When Kenny Wayne Shepherd came to Europe for the first time, the recently-turned 19-year-old wasn’t backpacking around dingy youth hostels; he was performing to sold-out stadiums as the support act for the reunited Eagles.
Each night, Shepherd played to tens of thousands at iconic venues such as Wembley Stadium and Murrayfield on the Hell Freezes Over tour, having released his debut album, Ledbetter Heights, one year earlier. Almost 27 years on, Shepherd will be back in Edinburgh this month, and ahead of the gig he reminisced about that extraordinary first visit in 1996.
“It was incredible. I’d been doing some shows with my band around the south of the United States before the album came out, and then we started doing clubs all over the country after it was released, but nothing of the magnitude of the Eagles tour,” he recalled. “It was amazing. We jumped on a plane, flew to Europe for the first time, and started playing to 80,000 people. Thankfully, I’ve never struggled with stage fright.”
Shepherd, now 45, was a blues rock prodigy, showing a flair for the guitar from an early age. He began playing professionally at such a young age that the law had to be changed in his home state of Louisiana to allow him to perform in bars and clubs.
“My dad knew most of the people in town because he was a disc jockey on the radio and was quite a well-known person,” Shepherd explained.
“Clubs were the only place where people playing this kind of music performed, so we understood the law would have to be amended if I was to play. He had good relations with the politicians, who were willing to work with us.”
Shepherd continues to be managed by his father, Ken, to this day. “It’s always complicated when in business with family, no matter what the business is, but I’m proud we’ve been able to maintain our professional and personal relationship.”
While Shepherd’s debut album put him on the map, it was his follow-up, released a few months after his 20th birthday, that pushed him into the mainstream. The platinum-selling Trouble Is…, with its hit single Blue On Black, introduced blues rock to a new audience. To mark its 25th anniversary, he has re-recorded the album, and has also made a documentary about the record and released a live DVD.
“It was a special record for us, the fans and the genre, so I thought it would be good to re-record it, and it kind of blurs the lines between the old and the new versions,” explained Shepherd, who has six kids with Mel Gibson’s eldest daughter, Hannah.
The success of the early albums saw the guitarist support legendary acts including The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Aerosmith, BB King and Van Halen, and he says getting the chance to meet or perform with his idols has been one of the perks of the job.
“In some situations, it was a little intimidating. BB King was always the one guy who I always felt humbled and a little nervous with.
“The most amazing thing has been the personal relationships that have developed and getting to know them beyond the music.
“Joe Walsh, for example. I met him doing that Eagles tour and we’ve maintained a relationship in that time.”
In turn, Shepherd has inspired blues rock musicians who have come after him, with names such as Joe Bonamassa, Kris Barras and Elles Bailey all following in his footsteps.
“In a time when there was a void in the mainstream music world for blues, we kicked the door wide open and I think that has helped everyone.”
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, April 19
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