Kenny Wayne Shepherd responds to rescinded Blues Music Award nomination
The Blues Foundation announced that they have rescinded Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s 2021 Blues Music Award nomination for “Best Blues Rock Artist.”
The foundation released the following statement, “The decision to rescind the nomination was based upon continuing revelations of representations of the Confederate flag on Shepherd’s “General Lee” car, guitars and elsewhere. The Blues Foundation has also asked Ken Shepherd, father of Kenny Wayne Shepherd, to step down as a member of its Board of Directors. The Blues Foundation states that it is resolute in its commitment to purposefully address racism and contribute to a more equitable blues community.”
The Blues Foundation’s statement also said, “The Blues Foundation unequivocally condemns all forms and expressions of racism, including all symbols associated with white supremacy and the degradation of people of color. We will hold ourselves as well as all blues musicians, fans, organizations, and members of the music industry accountable for racist actions and encourage concrete commitments to acknowledge and redress the resulting pain.”
Shepherd took to Facebook to respond and released the following statement saying,
“We have been told this decision has been made because in recent days, concerns have been raised regarding one of the cars in my muscle car collection. The car was built 17 years ago as a replica and homage to the iconic car in the television series, The Dukes of Hazzard. That CBS show was one of the highest rated and most popular programs of its era and like millions of others, I watched it every week. In the show, one of the central ‘characters’ was a muscle car which displayed a confederate flag on its roof. Years ago I put that car in permanent storage and some time ago, I made the decision to permanently cover the flag on my car because it was completely against my values and offensive to the African American community which created the music I love so much and I apologize to anyone that I have unintentionally hurt because of it.”
Shepherd concluded, “I want to make something very clear and unequivocal; I condemn and stand in complete opposition to all forms of racism and oppression and always have.”
Don’t give up Kenny !!! You’re the best !!!
Don’t kowtow to these leftists. This is the indicative of the decline in our modern society, trying to eliminate all memory of our great American heritage and history. I grew up in the south and that flag is not simply a racist artifact. The show is a classic and we learn and grow from our history but never forget to avoid repeating times gone by. If you look at it objectively, the idealogs are re-inventing segregation in reverse. I was just at the grocery store this week and they are now labeling items that are owned by Americans that are black. WHY are these folks still looking at skin tone first and why does it matter? These are ploys to keep the divide intact and keeps us from achieving MLK’s ultimate dream, where Americans are judged solely on the content of their character and nothing by their skin tone. We know you’re a great blues man of this era and never back down from these poisonous ideals that they are thrusting on us non-stop. God bless all Americans and bless our southern heritage. We are sliding backwards when we allow them to win this constant battle to notice skin color first and foremost. It’s disgusting and we must stand against these bully tactics!
I’m thinking of canceling my SXM if this decision is not reversed. American’s are sick of the liberal cancel culture!!!
The Blues Foundation should bow their heads in shame at their actions in cancelling Kenny, and Ken, and for bending their knees at the sound of the pervading, pernicious woke narrative! I have lost all respect for the Foundation and they have lost my support!
KWS is a devout Christian man without a racist pore in his being.
You have nothing to apologise for Kenny. Apologise for nothing!
Another attack by cowardly cancel culture czars attempting to destroy a great musician like Kenny Wayne Shepherd simply because they’re ignorant of history. KWS is not a racist but it doesn’t matter as long as the powers-that-be score virtue signaling points.
Absurd! KWS doesn’t need to apologize. Asking his dad to step down is just too much. KWS could make the argument that blues music itself preserves racism in its depictions of oppressed peoples. Will we have to go through the old blues catalogs and destroy all the old recordings of Darktown Strutters Ball, for example? Is KWS a racist? Obviously not. End this nonsense.
Very well put. Kenny,you are am amazing artist and human being. It’s sad you or anyone is judged so wrong. I applaud your gracious understanding of their position however the cancel culture are not taking so much into consideration. Keep playing Kenny. You are one of the great Blues artists. No trophy or title needed
Kenny Wayne , You have nothing to apologize for. You are the Best!!! All thise sutuation is pure madness
Yeah ! the lradical leftest are crybabys that were allways afended when they weere young. and never had anything except pimples and diarrea. they were never givin proper love from their parents.
I love the blues and I love my Southern/Confederate heritage. This Confederate Memorial Day, April 26, I will replace the Confederate flags on my great great grandfather’s graves and make sure KWS “King Bee” is blasting from my open car doors.
“ In Dixie Land I’ll take my stand to live and die in Dixie,
Away, away, away down South in Dixie “
Once again, cancel-culture snowflakes demand that Kenny and others bow the knee to their ideology.
I do know one thing – “cancel culture” & the leftist a**holes will NOT affect me in my life, they mean nothing to me. I am a free American man because I CHOOSE to be. I love The Blues, Muddy Waters, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. I swear, I will die before I have ANYTHING to do with anyone named Morganfield moving forward. Talk about riding someone’s coat-tails (a feeble attempt because there is no personal TALENT there)! That fool shot his “career” down the toilet by letting this come out. KWS IS HERE TO STAY!……total class
That’s just crazy, Kenny Wayne is one of the blues greats. Actually the reason I love blues. It’s amazing that people want to destroy our history! I live in the south also, heritage not hate! Having his dad step down is just disrespectful. Kenny keep making us proud