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.
The Future Is Now PODCAST: Isaiah Spencer
Episode 075 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guest Greg Dudzienski
Episode 073 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guest Ivy Ford
Episode 072 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guest Jerry Roche
Episode 071 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guest Orbert Davis
Episode 070 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guest Billy Flynn
069 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guest Dave Bryant
068 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guest Derrick Gardner
067 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guest Frank Catalano
066 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guest John Dorhauer
Episode 065 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guest Thaddeus Tukes
Episode 064 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guest John Minnock
Episode 063 Chicago Music Revealed with Charles Pillow
Episode 062 Chicago Music Revealed with Chris Greene
Episode 061 Chicago Music Revealed with Jimmy Johnson
Episode 060 Chicago Music Revealed with the Jazz Institute of Chicago
Episode 059 Chicago Music Revealed with Harvey Tillis
Episode 058 Chicago Music Revealed with Chris Anderson
Episode 057 Chicago Music Revealed with Tubist Jim Self
Episode 056 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Blues Guest Joanna Connor
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