I-95 Exclusive: Kenny Wayne Shepherd Reflects on His Early Days as a Rock Phenom

This spring, the legacy of Jimi Hendrix will come alive as some of the biggest names in rock and blues gather for an unforgettable tribute tour. The 2025 Experience Hendrix Tour will bring a star-studded lineup to stages across the U.S., including a stop at the Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, Connecticut, on March 29th.

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Featuring performances by legendary artists like Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Marcus King, Zakk Wylde, Eric Johnson, and many more. Ahead of this blockbuster rock event we got to speak with Blues/Rock legend Kenny Wayne Shepherd, this was our favorite moment.

Lou: You and I are about the same age—I’m 45. I’ll never forget, my dad raised me on rock, and I can’t remember exactly which publication it was, but it was probably Rolling Stone magazine. When I was about 15 or 16 years old, he brought me this article about you being a phenom, this young kid coming up in rock and roll. My dad said, “This kid is going to be the future of rock.” And here we are, all these years later, talking about it. When you look back at that young man, what do you think about?

Kenny: “Well, you know, man, I look back and think it’s pretty incredible, to be honest with you. You could go back and say, 'I wish I had done this,' or 'I wish I’d done that,' or 'done this differently'—whatever. But I really don’t have any major regrets, because, I mean, here we are, over thirty years later. We’re still playing shows, and we have a fan base that has supported me and my band for over thirty years now. They've allowed me to grow in all different directions. I make all kinds of different albums—I’ll do a very contemporary blues-sounding, blues/rock record, then follow that up with a totally traditional blues album, and then we’ll do something totally out of left field. And the fans are there for it. Not everybody loves everything all the time, but I think they really support me, and they like seeing an artist follow the inspiration. Wherever the music inspires me to go, that’s where I go. I could only have done that with the support of the fans. We built that fan base from the very early days—from the first, second, and third albums—and they’ve been with us ever since. So, yeah, maybe if we had done this or that differently, we might have had more success, but at the end of the day, we’ve sold millions of records, been nominated for lots of Grammys, won tons of awards, and I’m very happy. I couldn’t have asked for more. And I think, just the idea that I’m still here and still able to play music for a living is more than anybody could ask for. Most people are lucky to get a shot, and then, if they get a shot, they’re lucky if they’re successful and have a career that thrives for five years. You know? Because everybody’s chasing the pop music, which is trending, and it goes out of trend. But the music we make is timeless, and the fans are there for it.”

You can listen to the entire interview below

Part 1 - Kenny talked about the tour, his first exposure to Hendrix and chatted about growing up around a radio station with his rock DJ dad. 

Part 2 - Kenny discusses the difference in sound between vinyl, CD's and the streaming audio we hear today. Shepherd also reflected on being that 17-year-old guitar phenom that had the rock world going wild 30 years ago.