Says Rush, “Although I’m known for being a Bluesman and I live the blues, sleep the blues, breathe the blues, and eat the blues, I actually grew up listening to country classics on WLAC radio. Willie Nelson is one of my favorites, and I’ve always loved listening to the Opry and artists like Minnie Pearl and Roy Acuff. After all these years well into my career, to be making my debut at the iconic Grand Ole Opry at 91 years old, is a dream come true. To be able to perform where Willie, Dolly, and many other past and present greats have graced the stage over these 100 iconic years of the Opry, is such an honor. One of the other greatest things to happen to me is to record this new album I have out now with Kenny Wayne Shepherd. I can’t think of a better person, artist, and guitar player to make my debut alongside at The Opry.”
Adds Shepherd, “It is such a great honor to be able to make my Opry Debut as part of the Opry 100 Celebration. To share that moment with Blues Legend Bobby Rush makes it even more special. We are both looking forward to bringing some Blues into the circle on Country Music’s biggest stage.”
In addition to the Opry performance, Rush and Shepherd will embark on an upcoming 27-city U.S. tour in support of the new release starting April 25 in Kansas City, MO, with additional dates to be announced.
The 91-year-old Rush is a three-time Grammy Award winner for “Best Traditional Blues Album” for “Porcupine Meat,” “Rawer than Raw” and 2024’s “All My Love For You.” He is also a 16-time Blues Music Awards winner (with 56 career nominations), and has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame and Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.
In addition to his five-time Grammy nods, Shepherd has received two Billboard Music Awards, two Orville H. Gibson Awards which honors the world’s greatest guitarists, a Blues Music Award and a Keeping The Blues Alive Award. He’s also scored eight Top 10 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, sharing the record with B.B. King and Eric Clapton for the longest running albums on the Billboard Blues charts with his album, “Trouble Is…”
Born about 44 years apart, Rush and Shepherd joined forces at Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee for the sessions that led to “YOUNG FASHIONED WAYS,” which includes 10 tracks featuring Shepherd’s trademark guitar work and Rush’s soulful vocals, rhythm guitar and harmonica. The original compositions on “YOUNG FASHIONED WAYS” either found Shepherd specifically writing licks and melodies to Rush’s lyrics, or Shepherd coming up with a riff or melody and Rush reaching into his satchel and pulling out lyrics that fit perfectly. For the tracks with a full band, the songs feature veteran blues and R&B musicians Steve Potts (drums), Charles Hodges (keyboards and B-3), Darryl “DJ” Pruitt” (bass), Doug Wolverton (trumpet) and Charlie Di Puma (saxophone). YOUNG FASHIONED WAYS also includes colorful re-inventions of four classic Rush songs – “40 Acres (How Long),” “G String,” “Make Love to You” and “Uncle Esau.”
