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.
Episode 055 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guest Thaddeus Tukes
Episode 054 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guest Ryan Cohan
Episode 053 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guest Hrayr Attarian
Episode 052 Chicago Music Revealed with Special Guests Steve and Stephen Maxwell
Episode 051 Chicago Music Revealed with special guest Billy Branch
Episode 050 Chicago Music Revealed with special guests Michele Thomas, Darren Scorza and Bill Chapin
Episode 049 Chicago Music Revealed with special guest Liz Mandeville
Episode 047 Chicago Music Revealed with special guest Monica Staton
Episode 046 Chicago Music Revealed Special Guest Jake Trussell
Episode 045 Chicago Music Revealed Special Guest John Bailey
Episode 044 Chicago Music Revealed with special guest Toronzo Cannon
Episode 043 Chicago Music Revealed with special guest Gordon Grdina
042 Chicago Music Revealed with special guest Brandon Meeks
The Future Is Now with Monica Staton and guest, pianist Alexis Lombre
EPISODE 041 Chicago Music Revealed with guest Bobby Selvaggio
EPISODE 040 Chicago Music Revealed with Brandon Meeks
EPISODE 039 Petra Van Nuis and Andy Brown
EPISODE 038 Chicago Music Revealed with Wayner Powers and Brett Dean
EPISODE 037 Chicago Music Revealed with JD Walter
EPISODE 036 Chicago Music Revealed with guest Bear Williams
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