Kenny Smith was unquestionably born into blues royalty. He grew up in the same house where Muddy Waters once lived in Chicago, the home of the blues. Throughout his childhood, Kenny was surrounded by Muddy and his friends, which included his own father, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith (1936-2011). These same blues icons helped mold him into the person and drummer he is today and later in life asked him to provide his famous backbeat on some of the largest and most respected stages and recordings in the world. Kenny has played thousands of live performances to date and has earned the right to wear that royal blues crown. His father, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, played drums for the Muddy Waters’ Band in the early 1960’s and then again from 1968 through 1980 and was featured on all of Muddy’s Grammy winning albums. Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith, one of the best known living blues drummers today, learned 99% of what he knows about drumming from his father and was also inspired by acclaimed drummers: Odie Payne, Fred Below, Earl Phillips, Louie Bellson, S.P. Leary, Francis Clay and Art Blakey, Sonny Payne, Clifton James and many others who paved the way. And with those experiences Kenny has revitalized and created new interpretations of the blues drummers as he pushes blues drumming to new innovative and tradition styles.
Pianist Larry Fuller Talks Ray Brown on Around Town with Chicago Jazz
Angel Bat Dawid - The Future is Now with host Monica Staton
Episode 093 Chicago Music Revealed with guest Brandee Younger
Episode 092 Chicago Music Revealed with guest Johnny Iguana
Episode 091 Chicago Music Revealed with guest Jesse Fisher
Episode 090 Chicago Music Reealed with guest Nick Moss
Episode 089 Chicago Music Revealed withguest Ralph Peterson
Episode 088 Chicago Music Revealed with guests Jim Kaczmarek and Scott Mertens
Episode 087 Chicago Music Revealed with guest Brian Scarborough
Episode 086 Chicago Music Revealed with guest Matt Ulery
Episode 085 Chicago Music Revealed with guest Tana Alexa
Episode 084 Chicago Music Revealed with Blues guest Jimmy Burns
Episode 083 Chicago Music Revealed with gusts Abigail Riccards and Jeanie Tanner
Episode 082 Chicago Music Revealed with guest Lakecia Benjamin
Episode 081 Chicago Music Revealed with guest Denise Thimes
Episode 080 Chicago Music Revealed with Lil' Ed
Episode 079 Chicago Music Revealed with Roxy Coss
Episode 078 Chicago Music Revealed with Michael Olatuja
Episode 077 Chicago Music Revealed with Rudy Royston
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Immediately Kinfolk
This Next Song‘s About - A Songwriter‘s Podcast
Life of the Record
No Jumper
On Air with Brandon Jay