Kenny Wayne Shephard is he a protege of S.R.V.?

Question

I heard himplaying and I could have sworn it was Stevie come back to life.

not being critical I was just wondering. I am not any near an expert I am just a fan and SRV was one of my favorites, I can as many of you can . I dentify certain artists by their sound Knopfler,Clapton, Gilmoure etc. I heard sheppard oince years ago and this week while searching for that song I came across Him playing live and it sounded Just like SRV.

Answer 1

Kennny isn't a protege os SRV, although their sounds, taste and riffs may sound similar. A protege would suggest that Kenny studied under Stevie for at least a short while, to really learn SRV's inside secrets and tricks. Vaughn was unfortunately deceased by the time KWS would've been able to study under Stevie.
They were both great players, but chose very different sounds and paths to their recordings. It's hard to picture Stevie covering Bukka White's "Aberdeen", while Kenny did an admirable job on it. Flip things around and it's hard to imagine Kenny doing "Couldn't Stand The Weather" or "Tin Pan Alley".
Both Sehepard and Vaughn had great blues chops, but the common denominator between them was Jimi Hendrix, the God of modern guitar playing, especially in Blues or blues/rock.
All 3 players deserve more blues recognition, but most guitarists are gonna come up short compared to the VOODOO CHILE.
There's very few who could keep up the insane creative pace Hendrix lived during his musically short lifetime. His life should be a testament to 'channeling the music' from some otherworldly source, and following the vision of his "Muse".....

Hendrix was the one guitarist capable of writing, arranging, singing, producing, recording, promoting and performing such a wide range of music, yet still search for more avenues as creative outlets. Jimi had "the true gift", not just part of it........he could do it all and more, if called upon.

Answer 2

I've read that Kenny Wayne's dad was a concert promoter in Shreveport, LA. His dad put on an SRV show when Kenny was 14, I think (maybe even 10). Stevie talked to little Kenny before the show and told him to sit on some boxes just off stage during the concert. Kenny began begging for a guitar the next day. I don't think Stevie ever actually showed him anything on the guitar, but his original interest was stemmed from an obsession with SRV. That's why Kenny's early work is so close to SRV's sound. I have heard that he is making more of an effort to find his own sound now that he is in he his late 20s. I haven't listened to his last 2 CDs though.

Answer 3

He's copied Stevie's stuff right down to his gear(including the unbelievably heavy strings).His early management(his father) tried passing him off as the next best thing to SRV.He even toured with Double Trouble and played a lot of Stevie's songs.This turned off a lot of people and since then he has tried to distance himself from the comparisons.
Kenny is a very talented player in his own right and if given the chance people would see him as more than just another wannabe.
*Corrosion-have you listened to Kenny lately?*

Answer 4

He copies Stevie and his father marketed him as a 16 year old version a few years after Stevie's death.

Answer 5

He said that he learned guitar from playin Muddy Waters records but he does sound like SRV sometimes.
Another bluesman that sounds a lot like SRV is Chris Duarte.

Answer 6

no, he's on his on path. actually, bb king is the one who brought him out. kenny once said about another tour with bb, "hey, when bb calls, i gotta go"