Mike Ragogna: Guys, what was the inspiration that brought all of you together?
Stephen Stills: Well, Barry and I got together and said, "Let's try and write a couple of blues songs over the weekend." It tuned out to be six, but then I went on the road for like a year so we forgot three of them. That was like right away. Then I wanted to do a blues album and I was whining to my manager who happens to be Barry's manager, and we're going, "Guitar players! Guitar players!" Then it turned out that I'd been playing with this kid for the Indianapolis Colts Superbowl parties for years and it was like, "Kenny the cool guy, the guitar player," and I hadn't put it together that he was Kenny Wayne Shepherd because guys with three names, it's like athletes referring to themselves in the third person. [laughs] So I'm on the phone with Elliot Roberts and he's like, "We have this guy named Kenny Wayne Shepherd, he says he knows you and he's big now and you should work with him." I went, "Who?" I swear, this was a true story, I was in a casino and I was facing the wall away from the window and I said, "I have no idea who you're talking about." I turned around and there was an eight-story marquee with his picture that said, "Friday, Saturday, Sunday--Kenny Wayne Shepherd," it all clicked and I went, "Oh, I'm a moron!"
MR: Maybe just pleasantly surprised. [laughs]
SS: And then they all came to my house, and the rest, as they say, is history. We had five or six songs right away and then Kenny had these great covers. His singing voice bears a remarkable resemblance to the real Elmore James as recorded in 1940.
MR: "Talk To Me Baby," yeah. And The Rides also recorded the Muddy Waters song, "Honeybee."
Kenny Wayne Shepherd: I love Muddy Waters. When I was a kid one of my first concerts--
SS: You are a kid!
KWS: When I was a YOUNGER kid, when I was three years old, I saw Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. When I was thirteen years old, this guy that worked at my dad's radio station, he did the night shift and my dad had the morning show. I'd come to work with my dad at the radio station and I'd hang out there all morning until it was time for me to go to middle school. I'm like thirteen years old and then the guy who did the night shift would drive me to middle school. What my dad didn't know was as soon as we would get into the parking lot, he would throw me my dad's keys and I would drive to school with him in the passenger seat and I've got Muddy Waters blasting on the radio every single morning. I've always loved Muddy Waters. If I could take any guy's voice and implant it into my throat, I would want Muddy Waters' voice. I don't claim to sound anything like Muddy Waters, I appreciate them saying that I sound more like Elmore James, but I've always wanted to.
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