Come On, Kenny Wayne Shepherd Is Not a “Motherfu_____ Racist.”
WARNING: Language
If the Blues Foundation and the Blues Music Awards want to remove guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd from consideration for awards henceforth for questionable use of the Confederate flag in the past, that is their right, and their business.
But let’s make something patently clear: Kenny Wayne Shepherd is not a “motherfucking racist” as was accused by the daughter of Muddy Waters, Mercy Morganfield, which led to Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s nomination for a Blues Music Award to be rescinded, and his father Ken Shepherd to be asked to step down from the Blues Foundation’s board this week.
The brushup started when Mercy Morganfield made a post on Facebook (since removed), saying in part, “Daddy’s greatest rebellion was refusing to return to Mississippi to perform. He avoided the Confederate Flag-worshipping southern states altogether. That was then and this is now. What is y’all’s excuse? Why haven’t y’all descended on the Blues Foundation in droves and demand they rescind that award to that motherfucking racist?”
Mercy Morganfield’s accusation stems from the fact that Kenny Wayne Shepherd owns (or owned) a replica of the Dukes of Hazzard Dodge Charger that included a Confederate flag on the roof—a feature Shepherd claims he covered over some time ago, while also putting the car in permanent storage. The vehicle was part of a larger muscle car collection the guitarist owns. In a Wall Street Journal feature on Shepherd and the car in 2015, Shepherd said, “The confederate flag can be controversial, but not in this case. I get thumbs up from everybody, regardless of race. The African-American community created the music that I play; racism is not a part of my DNA.”
Nonetheless, Mercy Morganfield, who sits on the Blues Foundation board, has used the car that Shepherd nicknamed ‘Xtreme Lee’ to question not just Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s consideration for awards and brand him a racist, but lash out at the legitimacy of the entire organization.
“Blues Foundation—have y’all lost your minds?” Morganfield said. “It has come to my attention that a winner of the Blues Foundation Award for Best Blues Something or Other proudly displayed a Confederate Flag on his social media pages, drove around with it on his fucking car … This type of shit is not just pissing off Black people; it is pissing off a lot of white people who understand the blues at a deeper level than ‘a white man growling out what he thinks sounds like Howling Wolf.’”
For the record, Kenny Wayne Shepherd did not win the award in question that he’s now been rescinded from. The 42nd Annual Blues Music Awards were announced on January 28th, with Kenny Wayne Shepherd being nominated for Best Blues Rock Artist. The awards are set to be handed on June 6th. Shepherd has won numerous Blues Music awards in the past.
Mercy Morganfield continued, “[I do] not have the bandwidth to manage board participation after my brother and grandmother’s deaths. I really believe my wyte and blk (sic) colleagues on the board have the best intentions to ‘do the right thing.’ I also believe progressive voices, like mine, are often suppressed by old fart ass members who have done the same thing, the same way, for 20+ years and won’t hear that their baby they created in 1981 no longer fits the bill in 2021.”
For Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s part, he released a statement, saying:
I have just learned that the Executive Committee of the Blues Foundation Board of Directors has made the decision to rescind my nomination for the 2021 Blues Rock Artist of the Year award. We have been told this decision has been made because in recent days, concerns have been raised regarding one of the cars in my muscle car collection.
The car was built 17 years ago as a replica and homage to the iconic car in the television series ‘The Dukes of Hazzard.’ That CBS show was one of the highest rated and most popular programs of its era and like millions of others, I watched it every week. In the show, one of the central ‘characters’ was a muscle car which displayed a confederate flag on its roof. Years ago I put that car in permanent storage and some time ago, I made the decision to permanently cover the flag on my car because it was completely against my values and offensive to the African American community which created the music I love so much and I apologize to anyone that I have unintentionally hurt because of it.
I want to make something very clear and unequivocal; I condemn and stand in complete opposition to all forms of racism and oppression and always have.
This is the latest case of taking 2021 perspectives, and applying them to past instances when societal norms were different. At the time Kenny Wayne Shepherd was promoting his Dukes of Hazzard replica Charger and spoke to The Wall Street Journal about it, the television show was still airing on TV Land and CMT.
It’s also a case of not taking into consideration the totality of an artist’s contributions and character.
In June 2004 as Kenny Wayne Shepherd was near the top of his popularity, he decided to undertake an ambitious project to pay homage to past greats in the blues world and use his popularity to promote bygone legends. Called 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads, the album and documentary film project features Shepherd vising and collaborating with the likes of B.B. King, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Pinetop Perkins, Henry Townsend, Hubert Sumlin, Lazy Lester, and others, including the band of Muddy Waters. The project ended up being nominated for two Grammy Awards, and won two Blues Music Awards.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd also collaborated with Keb’ Mo’ and Robert Randolph on his 2014 album Goin’ Home. One of the last things Shepherd was doing before the pandemic was touring with Buddy Guy, with future dates still scheduled with the two. Over the 30 years of Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s career, there have never been any credible accusations of racism or racist behavior against the guitarist, and he regularly collaborates with African-American performers—something that would be completely out-of-form for someone who holds deep-seated racial intolerance.
Though individuals have a right to be concerned about Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s use of Confederate flag imagery in the past, Kenny Wayne Shepherd has the right for that imagery to be considered in context. Shepherd is not just an entertainer, but a husband, and a father of five. Calling him a “motherfucking racist” for no other offense than once owning a replica of the Dukes of Hazzard car that six years ago could be seen in theme parks and on television shows on broadcast and cable networks 24 hours a day is not grounds enough to make such a strong, and potentially career-ending accusation.
Meanwhile the fear others feel over staying silent or on the sidelines of such issues stimulates social media mobs that often unceremoniously and unfairly banish people from popular culture and society without due process. When Mercy Morganfield said, “Why haven’t y’all descended on the Blues Foundation in droves and demand they rescind that award to that motherfucking racist?” she was directly goading others, presenting an ultimatum that if you did not join in the condemnation, you would be considered racist yourself, or complicit to it.
Furthermore, such instances often stimulate a backlash that fuels the very racism they purport to be fighting against. Overreactions such as the one Kenny Wayne Shepherd has experienced is the stuff alt-right news segments are made of, while taking the teeth out of racism accusations when they are warranted and credible by making them commonplace.
Instead of bowing to public pressure any time someone chooses to level an accusation toward someone, a fair and sober assessment of the situation should be made. And in the case of Kenny Wayne Shepherd, there is no credible reason to believe a man whose spent three decades championing the cause of blues music and the black performers who helped found and popularize the genre is in any way a racist.
March 20, 2021 @ 9:18 am
It’s plain to see who the racist is here and it isn’t the white guy.
March 20, 2021 @ 9:29 am
I have no reason to believe that the daughter of Muddy Waters, Mercy Morganfield, is a “racist.” What I do know is that if you don’t even know that the guy you’re making accusations against didn’t win the award, he was just nominated for it, and you admit you “don’t have the time” to serve on the board you’ve been appointed to out of respect for your father, then respectfully bow out to someone who will take that position seriously, not go scorched earth and try to destroy the career of someone who’s worked his entire life to keep blues music alive, and has five kids to answer to and provide for.
I’m against racism in all forms. That’s why I’m against these irresponsible accusations. They hurt the cause.
March 20, 2021 @ 11:48 am
If there are two people in a room, and one of those people is constantly obsessing about racial issues, I think it’s clear who the racist is.
March 20, 2021 @ 4:50 pm
Word, brother.
March 20, 2021 @ 10:05 pm
Memories are so short that few people seem to remember that the Confederate Flag only became universally taboo, 100 percent condemned for all purposes on June 7, 2015. Up until that date, there was still debate in some southern states about whether state flags with small depictions of the Confederate flag should be displayed on top of, in front of, or in back of State Houses; and many people and some artists still displayed it on their clothing, vehicles or instruments as a symbol southern pride, or to self-identify as an iconoclast, rebel or “good old boy.”
I’ll leave it to someone else to note why all that abruptly changed on 6/7/2015.
March 21, 2021 @ 11:24 pm
Racist – the doctrine that one’s own racial group is superior or that a particular racial group is inferior to the others.
March 20, 2021 @ 7:30 pm
This is all getting so tiresome
June 9, 2021 @ 4:02 pm
Oh yes he is racist is Rihanna’s own race it’s called the rock and blues race any nationality can join rock on people
March 20, 2021 @ 9:28 am
I had a Dukes of Hazzard lunch box. But I knew by high school, confederate flag bad (and I lived in the south). I always thought KWS was a decent man, but I’m surprised no one has come to his defense. I know you said Morganfield has drawn the line in the sand, but he’s been around forever and certainly someone should have steeped in to right her claims.
March 20, 2021 @ 9:36 am
The problem is everyone’s afraid. I waited to post this article to see if anyone else would step up first, because frankly, this is on the periphery of my sphere of influence. But nobody did, because they’ll be labeled a racist, like I’m sure I will be. Editors at big publications won’t approve an article setting reasonable and accurate context for these accusations. Journalists won’t touch it because they’ll be ostracized on Twitter. And meanwhile a dude’s life is being destroyed for something he himself saw as wrong years ago and worked to rectify.
Again, I won’t apologize for Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s car, and if the Blues Foundation feels it’s so egregious that he shouldn’t be nominated for awards henceforth, that’s their business. But there is NO indication the guy is racist, and if nobody’s willing to step up and set some reasonable context around those accusations, at some point the social media mob will be coming for you.
March 20, 2021 @ 11:52 am
I’m not one damn bit afraid.
March 20, 2021 @ 4:53 pm
Nor am I.
I have shirts with the flag on it.
I don’t care what anyone thinks about it.
March 21, 2021 @ 7:56 am
I have older liberal friends I’ve played in bands with who still have old concert shirts they wore that have that flag.
April 17, 2021 @ 3:26 pm
Chris: Good for you! Born and raised in the south, still living here. The rebel flag is a symbol of heritage not hate. Some jut don’t get it and never will. Long live Dixie! And, I’m not racist.
March 20, 2021 @ 5:03 pm
No, but Di, you have more balls than most of the ‘men’ in the world.
March 20, 2021 @ 6:07 pm
Very true. It takes some real passion to get involved these days with the “woke” culture out to assassinate anyone their crazy takes a dislike to. Racism, sexism or whatever the cause is hurt 10x by this fanaticism.
I can’t say I know Kenny really, we’ve met a few times at car events and at his concerts. He’s engaging with everyone like he truly enjoys meeting people. I’m from Memphis and have been around more bigots than I care to remember since the 70s. You can tell 30 seconds into a conversation. He’s the farthest thing from them.
March 21, 2021 @ 7:59 am
This Woke, cancel culture BS is not about being correct, it’s about power. I can’t think of a better example of how the demand for racist things to be mad at is far greater than the supply. Not saying racism doesn’t exist, it does, but this Woke crap is just embarrassing…it’s 90’s evangelical levels embarrassing.
March 22, 2021 @ 9:24 am
I just saw a post from Billy Cox addressing how misguided this whole thing is: https://www.facebook.com/bassistbillycox/
March 22, 2021 @ 12:22 pm
Actually the backlash will probably push KWS to #1 a la Morgan Wallen.
March 10, 2022 @ 9:44 pm
So brave ???? no really thank you. I almost went to this dude’s concert because my husband kept trying to convince me it was blues and not country… but it’s obvious now. The “good ol boys” feel like he’s being being picked on, so obviously they’re the victim here. ???? cringe. Bless your hearts.
March 20, 2021 @ 9:45 am
Mercy sounds like a very sick, angry individual. I hope she gets the help she needs
March 20, 2021 @ 11:54 am
This shit is so dumb. Imagine getting butthurt over a car. KWS is a good dude.
March 20, 2021 @ 9:48 am
Mercy sounds like a very sick and angry individual. I hope she gets the help she needs.
March 20, 2021 @ 10:05 am
If she’s a “progressive voice” then we might as well burn the Constitution right now.
March 20, 2021 @ 1:38 pm
Mercy Morganfield, the Winnie Mandela of the blues.
March 20, 2021 @ 6:12 pm
Who did Ms. Morganfield ever neck lace? She’s bad, but she isn’t a war criminal.
March 21, 2021 @ 10:25 am
Metaphor alert.
March 20, 2021 @ 10:28 am
It’s people like her that cause racism to exist.
March 20, 2021 @ 10:57 am
How long until attending a single Confederate Railroad concert years ago causes you to lose your job and every redeeming quality you have? This notion would sound completely ridiculous ten years ago, but now, it seems like it could happen to anyone. The monogenre is horrible; the monoparty of public discourse and hive mind is even worse.
March 20, 2021 @ 11:27 am
How far is this going to go? Let’s just use The Dukes of Hazzard as a jumping off point… Waylon Jennings performed the theme song for the show and narrated it. Willie Nelson had a prominent role in the movie version. Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Freddy Fender, Roy Orbison, Johnny Paycheck, etc. guest starred on episodes. Johnny Cash appeared on the show’s soundtrack album. Are all of them now racist by extension? Is it “problematic” for modern artists to cite their influence or perform their songs? What about people who associated with and worked with those artists over the years? Are all of Willie’s duet partners going to be cancelled? Are we going to remove Janis Joplin’s version of Me and Bobby McGee from classic rock stations because it’s writer was in a band with three artists associated with The Dukes of Hazzard? For that matter, what about George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty? They saw no problem working with Roy Orbison after he appeared on an apparently racist television show. Where is the line? And are we going to have any music left when the woke crowd’s work is done?
March 20, 2021 @ 11:58 am
However, if you’re Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman, Jimmy Fallon, or even Robert Downey, Jr., you can appear in blackface with zero consequence, and a quick “I’m sorry” or totally ignoring it will wash it all away. The media (Hollywood, television, music, news) is no longer a voice for all people; it’s a mouthpiece and shield for one ideology and a weapon against all others.
March 20, 2021 @ 12:10 pm
Right. It’s the same crowd who wants “Baby It’s Cold Outside” banned for objectifying women while making “WAP” a hit.
March 20, 2021 @ 6:30 pm
Or the Highwomen, or even our highest ranking politician. It’s endless and painfully apparent to anyone with half a brain..and yet they march on, oblivious to their beyond ironic self-righteous moral charade. At some point there needs be a clean break. Institutions such as this organization in the story, or the Grammys, the Oscars, etc, are beyond repair, increasingly irrelevant and have nothing to do with meritocracy. Let them fall. They’re already sick and dying. We need to start over, and where there’s weakness, there’s opportunity. Outkick in the sports world is just one example. I hope that guy is successful and paves the way for others to follow. I think there’s enough people tired of this shit to make it work.
March 20, 2021 @ 11:35 am
“How far is this going to go?”
All the way.
March 20, 2021 @ 11:41 am
Never heard of Mercy Morganfield before, but children of celebrities frequently feel entitled to the same platform their more talented parents rightfully earned. She’s a lunatic. Just check her Insta. For the Blues Foundation/Awards to cow to this obviously insane person speaks volumes about their own lack of backbone. This is the direction most institutions of western art, culture, and commerce are headed in. Better get used to it.
March 20, 2021 @ 11:43 am
Would be glad to rip ms. mercy a new asshole, but sitting this one out.
March 20, 2021 @ 11:51 am
We’ve long since entered a new era of McCarthyism where any hurled accusation of racism, sexism, transphobia, or any other grievance buzzword can have immediate negative effects on the careers of unassuming people going about their daily lives.
People like Mercy play a negative sum game. Poisoning the well doesn’t make things better for others in the group. The willingness to destroy for the sake of some Internet clout – from people just as miserable and jaded as she – should be sad to most everyone that sees it for what it really is.
March 20, 2021 @ 12:05 pm
Ok, so not sitting this one out.
In ’03 to ’07, while busting it every day in the fercely competitive field of nuclear medicine, people tried to cancel me. People try to cancel other people daily in these fields of study.
What you do is keep busting your ass, face everything head on, and dare people to get in your way.
Especially when you know you are in the right field, & will be going out in the real world & at some point making a difference in someone’s life – physically help them feel better.
By the Grace of God, and the enabled understanding of this discipline, ended up in nuclear at The Cleveland Clinic, and Mt. Sinai, Miami Beach.
Then headed out to a ranching hospital in the panhandle.
A great honor to serve that community for 10 years.
This situation is not going to get better until people start standing up to these idiots.
March 20, 2021 @ 5:05 pm
“This situation is not going to get better until people start standing up to these idiots.”
I agree, Di. Too bad KWS apologized. He had nothing to apologize for.
Stand up for yourself Kenny, for fucksakes.
March 20, 2021 @ 10:32 pm
This is very sad. Her Daddy would be proud his daughter was standing up against racism, but he would be appalled her anger was misdirected against KWS. If KWS passes Buddy Guy’s sniff test, then that’s good enough for most of us. Buddy ain’t gonna tolerate racism. BB King too. KWS’s album ’10 days out …’ speaks for itself. What an homage to the blues greats, all black. Mercy is just shouting wolf.
March 22, 2021 @ 6:33 pm
Thanks! But, how do you know any of this?
March 20, 2021 @ 12:12 pm
I always knew blue on black was praising cops who knelt on black men.
March 20, 2021 @ 12:27 pm
If Muddy was alive he’d slap her and play music with Kenny Wayne !!
March 20, 2021 @ 12:37 pm
The Confederate flag was pretty commonly used as a symbol of southern identity or a rebellious attitude probably as recently as last year. Remember when Howard Dean said he wanted to be a President for guys with Confederate flags in their trucks? I’m not saying it was ever uncontroversial, but the consensus that it’s a hate symbol that no one should ever use is not even a year old.
March 22, 2021 @ 7:18 pm
This is exactly why the confederate flag is problematic. The symbol has hijacked “southern identity.”
I consider myself southern, but will never accept that identity if I have to give up the core values of humanity to do so.
March 20, 2021 @ 1:33 pm
Nothing says social justice like rage and retribution.
Plus the whole “one person judge, jury, and executioner” thing.
We all know justice is about that.
March 20, 2021 @ 2:28 pm
Justus
March 20, 2021 @ 2:56 pm
This is Marxism but with different roles. In this new scheme of radical liberal wokeness white people serve as the bourgeoise and African Americans are the proletariat. Divisive acts like this are meant to cause divide and create interracial conflict and animosity. I hope that people with common sense can start to stand up to this none sense before it’s too late. As long as you have love in your heart for other people and want to celebrate and value the amazing unique things other cultures have you shouldn’t have to answer to these losers. Not being racist use to mean this but now you are considered racist if you don’t appease the new woke religion 100%. There is no forgiveness of sins any slight mistake will cause immediate cancellation and abuse. Wake up people!!!
March 20, 2021 @ 3:34 pm
Cancel culure is going to destroy this country. there are children in this country who are homeless, people who die without health insurance. and this is what people get upset about. what is the world coming to?
March 20, 2021 @ 3:36 pm
What is wrong with people? Why do they get their pleasure from the act of “canceling” ? If they only knew that they were doing more damage to their cause, do we think they would stop ruining careers and lives? Trigger, your article is right on the money. I prefer to think that I keep an open mind for all sides of a debate, but this kind of bs pushes someone like me (and others) further to the right. It is a blown opportunity for progressives when they behave in this way and it is now far too common. There are no checks and balances from the “unbiased” media. This drama sells for these media giants. What should happen is this lady should apologize for an error in overreacting without having all of the facts and circumstances. This apology would be appropriately covered by media outlets. I am sure the apology is coming soon.
One question, has anyone who has been cancelled ever sued for libel, slander or whatever the appropriate legal term is? If I were KWS I would get a badass lawyer and take legal action against any person or organization that caused undue/unfair harm. It might just take one ruling to change behavior.
March 20, 2021 @ 4:40 pm
Anyone else notice that the usual suspect “progressive” leftist apologist commenters have suddenly gone silent?
Has the woke mob finally crossed the line for you but you don’t have the honesty or integrity to say anything?
As for you Trigger… once again, you seem to be the only person in the industry with any guts whatsoever.
March 20, 2021 @ 4:58 pm
Let me get this straight: he’s a white man who is known for playing a black-originated genre and has done so since the beginning of his music career. This man has had a car with a controversial decal on top it for 20 years. So this man, who plays a black-originated genre, is called a “racist” today (not last year or 10 years ago, mind you) by the daughter of one of his musical heroes (who is also black) because he owns said car. From a television show.
For review: Play a genre founded by black people and express your love for it by playing it for your whole career. But he’s racist because of a car.
But the hell of the whole thing is this: HE APOLOGIZED FOR IT. He lost my support for doing this. I’m not in his position, nor do I have a publicist, manager, nor label, but for the love of all this good and decent, StTOP APOLOGIZING TO THESE PEOPLE! The first person who tells the whole wide world to go pound sand has my full support. The onus is on them to prove it. Don’t give in to them.
Old man rant over.
March 22, 2021 @ 7:07 pm
Yes, he is playing black-originated music. And because of this, he has a very important responsibility of representing the past while placing himself within it. I hate to break it to ya, but people that fly the confederate flag (regardless of the context) have been called racist for a long time (Yes, last year, 10 years ago and 150 years ago).
I believe that there are many great musicians that have excelled by loosing a piece of their whiteness…
March 20, 2021 @ 5:00 pm
And her name is “Mercy”.
Very ironic.
March 20, 2021 @ 5:02 pm
Screw Mercy Morganfield and her mentally defective thought process. It’s people like her who keep racism alive.
Too bad KWS didn’t have the balls to defend himself and instead apologized. That’s exactly what the sick fucks on the left who are offended by every little thing want.
Muddy Waters is rolling over in his grave.
March 20, 2021 @ 5:08 pm
I am sure holier than thou Morganfield has never said a disparaging thing about
white people. Yeah right.
March 20, 2021 @ 6:47 pm
Rules for thee. Not for me.
Progressives are the single greatest threat to American values. They can’t be reasoned with for they are unreasonable. They are modern day Marxists. Sad truth is, the war is already over. They poisoned the education well decades ago. And we left it happen because “diversity and tolerance.”
Every empire falls eventually due to internal decay.
March 21, 2021 @ 8:41 am
Stares in Colin Kapernick, the Chicks, all of the voting rights legislation that is specifically actually geared to cancel Black voices at the polls.
wonders if CK actually knows what being Marxist means
Empires are crap anyways being that by definition means you’re conquering other people’s lands. Nations fall because they don’t promote merit, and value education and experience, and instead create a dominant inherited class that eventually leads to a rebellion by the people. Stares in Donald/Ivanka Trump.
March 21, 2021 @ 9:30 am
America has not been perfect but the whole intention of our society is to keep improving. We have the ability to work towards something and freely express our views. What I don’t understand is why people like you want to see it destroyed. We are living in the most prosperous and technologically advanced stage of history. We have problems but not nearly as bad as any of our ancestors. You want to make all of the progress we have made as a country and all of the sacrifices of people of all kinds of races and religions all for nothing because “Trump had mean tweets and you still see injustices” people on both sides don’t want to see these injustices and I think if you took some of the contempt out of your heart you’d realize a lot of people on all sides don’t want to injustice either. Also injustice at the polls? Look who won with a record number of votes. They are trying to keep the same voting practices in place too. O well when our country is overtaken by communist China I’m sure you’ll be the first one to lick their boots and who knows maybe eventually you’ll realize the old America wasn’t all as bad as you used to think back before you could sit in privacy in the comfort of your own home and criticize the government without being put in a camp.
March 21, 2021 @ 9:32 am
If you think that the right favors certain voting requirements or strategy for any other reason than to win or for power, or that the left does the same for any other reason than to win or for power, you are naive.
Despite your typical logically bankrupt, cherry-picking, whataboutism arguments, you at least commented that people should “clearly have room to grow.” I’m curious about, from a person of your perspective, what a suggestion might be in challenging this unforgiving, absolutist, witch-hunt exemplified in this story. In other words, what are you, as someone presumably on the left, willing and able to do or say to help prevent this from spiraling further? I’m asking as someone who has wrestled with that question for some time.
March 21, 2021 @ 1:34 pm
Voting policies as in actually demanding VOTER ID. Oh the horror. I need an ID to buy beer and board a plane but demanding ID to vote, well, that is racist and tyrannical.
We all know why Voter ID is opposed by the Left. It would hold them accountable.
I know what Marxism is. Unlike leftists, I have read history and know the horrors of an ideology that has killed 100 million and counting.
As for empires, it was a figure of speech. I know those concepts are above your IQ level. But to be clear for the mental midgets: great nations.
Inherited class and you say Trump? Trump was not part of a political dynasty like the Clintons and Kennedys and Bushes. Nice try.
March 22, 2021 @ 6:39 pm
By “american values,” do you mean white, male, christian superiority?
March 22, 2021 @ 10:29 pm
79% of African Americans identify as Christian according to the pew research center. Only 70% of white people do. Does that make them all uncle toms to you? This is why putting people into groups is so dangerous and ideologically flawed. Individuals exist with beliefs and values outside of blanket stereotypes.
March 25, 2021 @ 6:28 pm
No.
Nice try at baiting.
March 20, 2021 @ 8:48 pm
KWS put the car in permanent storage & went out of his way to cover the flag on the car itself. That sure sounds like the actions of an “MF’in racist.” Gimme a damn break. This lady sounds like your average garden variety Karen, with her dog whistles & virtue signaling. I’m over it & I think I’ll go back to listening to Cody Jinks.
March 20, 2021 @ 9:56 pm
Can we please just cancel Cancel Culture already?
March 21, 2021 @ 12:01 am
F**k right off, Mercy, you pretentious c**t. Kenny is not a racist. He is a gentleman, a torchbearer of the Blues and he loved ol’ Muddy. Such much in fact that he even performed with the Muddy Waters band to tribute his memory while you’re busy defiling it by chasing clout and social status.
Here’s the real truth of the matter: Mercy Morganfield lacks the family talent, and like all untalented hipsters with famous parents, she instead tries to grow her brand by riding the family coattail and causing drama for attention.
The last time Mercy had any kind of real attention, was last year when she was the head of the Women’s March, DC and accused people of antisemitism, most notably Linda Sarsour. And now she’s going after Kenny Wayne Shepered over some bulls**t speculation with zero creed just so she can have 15 more minutes of fame.
March 22, 2021 @ 6:28 pm
Here is the real truth of the matter… you have no idea of her pain and to describe her in those terms proves your ignorance. KWS might be a gentleman. But you sir, are not.
April 8, 2021 @ 1:39 am
it’s not about pain, it’s about making unfounded accusations & trying to ruin another person for personal gain. People like that are the scum of the earth and deserves no sympathy or gentlemanly treatment.
March 21, 2021 @ 4:04 am
where i live (Italy) we literally have nazi skinhead bands playing their own fuc..ing festivals and shit like that. To even think KWS is racist because of a dukes of hazzard replica car is simply CRAZY!!!
March 21, 2021 @ 6:49 am
Kenny probably isn’t racist in the way that the quote was intended (we all sometimes say things that are racist/have racist thoughts/prejudices). But really people have known the confederate flag was racist since the 1860’s. The NAACP boycott of South Carolina over the flag begin in 1999. Lots of racist stuff was used in popular culture, the fact that cmt still didn’t find the car offensive in the 2000’s speaks more to cmt & their audience, then people not realizing the flag was offensive.
I am glad Kenny figured it out, and people should clearly be allowed to grow.
March 21, 2021 @ 10:01 am
Why can’t you just admit that the black lady is wrong and could refocus her enthusiasm to more deserving endeavors? You basically square the blame with parties nowhere remotely involved in this story rather than the person who is clearly and obviously way the fuck outta line.
March 21, 2021 @ 10:25 am
Seak,
It is you who are racist.
And mercy.
March 21, 2021 @ 10:40 am
Maybe we shouldn’t battle against the overreaching of calling people racist by overreaching and calling people racist.
March 21, 2021 @ 10:49 am
People shouldn’t be casually slinging that word around.
This is not a time to deflect.
March 21, 2021 @ 12:04 pm
but you just… never mind.
March 21, 2021 @ 12:45 pm
Hell, until about 2008 I didn’t even know I was a racist. The fact that, as a white male, I’ve been told almost every day since Obama was inaugurated, that due to my pigmentation, I am an irredeemable “racist” and “white supremacist”, and nothing I’ve ever done, or will ever do again, is going to change that. Well, after reading this article, I can now confidently affirm that I am, in fact a racist. Not racist against all black people, mind you, but absolutely 100% racist against at least one of them. Well played, Ms. Morganfield, you smoked me out …
March 22, 2021 @ 6:32 pm
Yes! I don’t understand how it is so hard to understand. It isn’t our fault, but at the core, unless we are fighting against racism, we are racists. I know, it’s scary, but come on!
April 13, 2021 @ 9:58 am
Island Dog…too dumb to pick out sarcasm
March 21, 2021 @ 10:17 am
Gotta love liberals/ progressives. It’s always them…always.
March 21, 2021 @ 10:58 am
Meanwhile, I proudly fly the Stars and Bars at my abode.
PROUDLY!
March 21, 2021 @ 11:58 am
This episode of Cancel Culture continues the disturbing trend: the justification for cancelling someone is getting thinner and thinner. I wonder how long it will be before you can get cancelled not for something you’ve done, but rather for something you haven’t done e.g. failure to yell loudly and enthusiastically enough about what a hardcore member of Woko Haram you are.
“Show me the man and I’ll show you the crime.”
March 21, 2021 @ 2:02 pm
This sounds more like a publicity stunt than anything. Woke nonsense gets clicks. Interesting how a nation with so much racism is so obsessed with canceling racists.
This is a 40+ year old award show that 99% of people didn’t even know existed until just now. If fact, I don’t even know, is it a show? Is it televised or broadcast or anything? I’d google it, but I don’t want to be labeled a racist, for googling a bunch of racists, and get a letter from my bank telling me that they will no longer be doing business with me because google notified them that I’m a racist based on my search history.
Easiest solution is to cancel this award show, and all award shows for that matter. This “Blues Foundation” is clearly racist for nominating a racist. I mean, they’re preserving something that came from the Jim Crow era. It’s the safest most progressive thing to do really.
March 21, 2021 @ 2:04 pm
At least, everyone boycotting this, will be literally the least we can do, since no one knew it existed and no one was planning to watch anyway. #notallheroswearcapes
March 21, 2021 @ 3:52 pm
I don’t do mob boycotts. I don’t apologize to the mob, either. This. is. so. old. This cancel/woke junk is breeding anger & hate.
March 21, 2021 @ 6:53 pm
I have a lot to say about this, and I have personally witnessed prejudice on the internet from people in the blues scene, and it is very toxic. Kenny Wayne Shepherd being attacked like this is a shame, and it leads me to tell my story. I feel this hate is a part of a political idea that’s lately been being pushed about how blues, jazz, and country music were only created by black artists and white people “stole” it all, which is bullshit. I have a personal story with the blues music community I feel kind of relates to this.
I was raised on the blues and old country and I learned music because I wanted to play just like the old blues musicians I heard on the CDs I had. I eventually found my way on Facebook, and I got in touch with people in the blues scene from far and wide. At first, there was no real problem, and then I started to notice the prejudice comments and how they were aimed at not just me but people like me. Have you ever been to a church and had a preacher preach a sermon that you felt was directed at you? Well that’s how I felt.
The posts were all about how apparently white people had no clue about the blues; “we are culture vultures” we lack “melanin”, we need to stick to country music, and we are racists, we are “bleaching” blues music, we didn’t have nothing to do with the blues until the 1960s, and it was always these comments and when I confronted some of these people, they said I was different because I paid homage to the 1920s-1930s blues artists (which I was raised on and admired for a long time), but it didn’t feel right because, although I am not a blues rocker like a lot of the artists they attacked, I felt uncomfortable. I look back on it now, and I realize I was just listening to ignorant, bigots who are buying into identity politics, and it’s sad.
Eventually, I got so tired of all the hate, and so I quit playing altogether, and in a way, I gave into the haters remarks and I went and I listened to country music (I was already into Jimmie Rodgers before then) I got into hank williams senior, Ernest tubb, bob wills, Roy Acuff, uncle Dave Macon, and a lot of the old country artists. My family is from the south and loved country music, and so I began to take pride in it and love it. At the same time, I began to realize that a lot of their comments were racist, ignorant and they didn’t realize how much debt Jimmie Rodgers, Chris bouchilion, Frank Hutchinson, Emmett Miller, Bob Wills, and hank williams gave and received from the blues.
My god, Charley Patton, who is considered the father of the blues was part white, part black, and part Indian.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd being attacked for this is nonsensical, and honestly, I feel blues music and for that matter country music has become politicized. I have heard all this take about race, by people who claim to be anti racists, who are racists themselves.
March 21, 2021 @ 9:02 pm
“Overreactions such as the one Kenny Wayne Shepherd has experienced is the stuff alt-right news segments are made of.” Alt-right news segments and Saving Country Music posts! What’s the difference? LOL. See you Trumpers later.
March 21, 2021 @ 10:42 pm
So the actual statement from the Blue Foundation says: “The decision to rescind the nomination was based upon continuing revelations of representations of the Confederate flag on Shepherd’s “General Lee” car, guitars and elsewhere.”
KWS didn’t address the “guitars and elsewhere” and neither did you, Trigger. I think it’s important to point out that this wasn’t based solely on the car.
March 22, 2021 @ 6:39 am
I truly wonder if Ms. Morganfield has ever spoken to KWS? This is truly a sad story, but also sadly not surprising for these times we live in, rants, untruths, and social media rule the day!
March 22, 2021 @ 10:33 am
Billy Cox, Jimi Hendrix’s army buddy, and bass player with The Band of Gypsies, has just made a public statement in defense of Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
March 22, 2021 @ 10:55 am
Thanks Andy, and others for pointing this out. Just posted an updated story with this information.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/jimi-hendrix-bassist-billy-cox-defends-kenny-wayne-shepherd/
March 22, 2021 @ 11:32 am
First, what does this have to do with country music?
Second, this is a social media manufactured controversy. Manufactured by press and coverage. People have been expressing controversial feelings forever- don’t pretend like this is some new thing. It’s not ‘getting worse’ dummies- it’s getting amplified, predominantly by another latest ‘war on …’ by the new repubs.
Kenny’s gonna be fine with his blues music. No need to jump all over his defence here. This won’t affect his bottom line, his response was honest and good.
March 22, 2021 @ 12:47 pm
I think it has a lot to do with country music. First off, I attend Folk Alliance and AmericanaFest every year, and the Blues Foundation has a big footprint at these events. Americana, folk, and bluegrass share the American Roots categories at the Grammy Awards with the blues, because all of these roots genres are intertwined. Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers were glorified bluesman. Though I don’t cover the blues as much as I used to because the who “deep blues” scene has sort of gone the way of “underground country” (which is virtually disappeared), I do still occasionally cover a straight up blues record here or there.
But most importantly, we cannot allow things like some tangential tie to the “Dukes of Hazzard” TV show to result in the cancellation of artists. This will DEFINITELY come for country artists next, and was already a major issue when Margo Price came after Luke Combs.
As I stated in a previous comment, I didn’t initially cover this story, waiting for someone else more tied to the blues or rock scene to step up and help set the context. When that didn’t happen, I felt it was imperative someone step, and so I took the initiative. And yes, it was a controversy manufactured on social media. But with Shepherd being accused of being a “motherfucking racist,” it most certainly could result in real world consequences for his life and career moving forward.
March 22, 2021 @ 2:13 pm
I’m 99% certain that ‘cancellation’ is a myth. In terms of it’s efficacy, however you want to frame ‘it’- whatever you want to consider ‘public opinion’ which is usually one-three people with a megaphone and followers- it’s been successful at stalling the then Dixie Chicks career- that was some fucked version of ‘america’ under siege- that’s the power that can actually ‘cancel’. Folks will tolerate – see our previous prez’s lifestyle, Ted Nugent, Woody Allen, R. Kelly, the list goes on. It’s the wildfire quality that can be legitimately threatening to an artist’s career, and often ought to be. Consequences. Nothing new here. Again, Kenny will be %100 fine. How was Combs’ career affected by Price? This is the same ‘obama will take our guns’ fear /talking point that was repeated daily for 8 years. Is Kenny a racist because of this? Sure doesn’t seem like it, and it probably wouldn’t affect his bottom line anyway-this is america, and we care about racism part-time . Did I know or care about one of the SRV clones that *one person called a motherfuckin racist because he owned a car that he became ashamed of a few years back? Nope. Will awards shows ever represent all the values of an entire genre? Definitely not.
I do appreciate your willingness to approach stuff like this, and I think it’s important to remember your complicity.
March 22, 2021 @ 3:13 pm
There’s no doubt that the whole “cancel culture” thing can get hyperbolic on both sides and descend into grenade throwing of very little true importance. But there were consequences here for Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and they could have been worse if the dog piling continued. In this case, I think his accuser was so ill-informed, the results for Shepherd were limited. But he definitely could have lost gigs, endorsements, etc. from this.
Ryan Adams did have his career destroyed. Unknown Hinson had his career destroyed. There are artists that get legitimately cancelled. I’ve had the cancel mob come for me multiple times, and for completely ludicrous reasons. Margo Price called me an uneducated “sexist, racist, bigot, homophobe.” Jason Isbell said I was a “coward” and an “incel.” I lost hundreds of followers on Twitter and friendships over it, and the funny thing is, none of those folks can even tell you how the drama even started. They don’t know why I was canceled. They were just joining the mob.
Yes, we can make too much of these issues. But I also think you can’t be too careful at setting the record straight with the consequences that can be out there. My job as a member of the media is to report information. None of the stories on Kenny Wayne Shepherd spoke about his “10 days” project or collaborations with black artists over his 30-year career. This was important context.
March 22, 2021 @ 5:51 pm
Agreed, generally. I’d counter Adams is a fuckin asshole who’s music I still enjoy, and unknown Hinson said some deeply, deeply stupid insulting misogynist and racist shit to one of the few rural humanitarians we have. Both of their careers suffered from their actions- %100 as it should be. That’s what has always happened, but now it’s happening to white men more often. Perhaps I’m conflating some of the dumb stuff folks write in the comment section with your views, but the ‘where does it end?’ pearl clutching is just so nuts. Reminds me of our elected officials during gay marriage debates ‘whats to stop someone from marrying their horse?’ fuuuuuuuck all the way off.
I didn’t know the issue was so personal for you, bit it helps understand your angle and focus in several articles.
March 22, 2021 @ 2:14 pm
You did good.
You did really good
March 22, 2021 @ 11:42 am
I have owned a copy of “Trouble is..” since it was current and “The Place You’re in” (don’t remember when I got that one. Lots of good stuff on each. Looks like I will be buying a few more. I don’t intend to buy these in an effort to support racism – I don’t believe there is any in this case. I wish this story would get enough traction for all of KWS’s sales to increase the same way Morgan Wallen’s has. The difference is that at least one other performer has said that Wallen’s comments may be a reflection of how he might feel. But the comment itself and the way he said it didn’t show any hate, IMO.
Regarding KWS, if owning Dukes of Hazard memorabilia then I escape the label simply because I misplaced many my childhood toys.
If you believe, like me, that KWS got a raw deal here then go buy one of his albums. If you don’t know who he is then you should check him out anyway. He’s pretty dang legit!!
March 22, 2021 @ 11:56 am
More European descendant demonization.
March 23, 2021 @ 4:51 pm
What happened to letting a long tenured successful blues musician be honored for his musical contributions? Why can it not be left right there? Why anyone cares about images on a car he had 17 years ago that he eventually covered is beyond me. There is no known history of racism known or claimed by anyone until this one person right now. I know this if we want a functional society and culture this so called “woke” “cancel culture” must be stopped. Otherwise we will cease to function as a rational society and separation, anger and division will only get worse. That would be a sad thing.
March 24, 2021 @ 9:40 am
only racist I see in this situation is Mercy Morganfield. She’s obviously jammed up that a white dude has been very successful making the music that she thinks should only belong to black people.
March 26, 2021 @ 7:26 am
Not for anything, he deserves whatever he gets now for caving to these idiots. Sooner or later fools like Shepherd are going to realize that no matter WHAT you do, no matter HOW you apologize, they’re STILL going to ruin your life. There was ZERO reason to apologize for that car, and even LESS reason to fuck up a replica of an iconic vehicle because someone doesn’t like it.
Grow some balls and stick up for yourself.
March 27, 2021 @ 9:33 am
The full content of Mercy Morganfield’s post is out there on Reddit and I have read it. It seems to me that her finding out that one of the Blues Music Awards nominees has a car with the Stars and Bars on it might have been a triggering event for her that led to that lengthy rant addressing numerous issues she has with the Blues Foundation. Her father was part of the Great Migration out of the Jim Crow South and I’m guessing she’s heard some stories, so I’m not particularly surprised that she as a black woman and the daughter of the great Muddy Waters (the most important figure in Chicago blues and maybe the most seminal figure in electric blues) would have such a strong reaction to hearing about someone with a car with the Confederate flag on its roof getting a “blues music” nomination. Yeah, it’s a hot take and “motherfucking racist” is a way over the top label to stick on KWS. But I think he’ll be fine. For starters, I imagine the percentage of his fans that is into Muddy Waters might be pretty small (more song/vocal oriented and not enough flashy electric guitar) and so they’re not going to be much influenced by what his daughter has to say. Or they might be into him solely for his entertainment value and don’t think too deeply about where his music came from. I’ve been around that type of blues fan before, that’s for sure.
I read somewhere that Kim Wilson (lead singer and harmonica player of the Fabulous Thunderbirds) supported her on this issue. Later, he found out about the “Dukes of Hazzard TV show” connection. He said he felt bad for KWS, but that “he should have known better.” I agree with that. Even in 2004, when he was 27 and about 10 years into his recording career making blues rock music, maybe he should have known better. He knows better now, which is good.
Interestingly, one of Mercy Morganfield’s issues with the Blues Foundation and maybe some white blues fans is that she thinks they want to keep the blues “behind the velvet ropes”, as it were. And when she identifies her as a “progressive voice,” I think she is at least in part referring to herself as an advocate for artistic growth in the blues. She then refers to how “country music” has been allowed to “evolve,” resulting in the “flourishing renaissance” today (That’s right folks. She had something kind to say about country music.). Now, if she’s talking about mainstream country, I definitely have some issues with that. But there is artistic evolution going on in country music outside of Music Row in a way that I don’t think is happening in the blues. I was a blues fan years before I became a fan of good, not necessarily rock oriented country music and there’s very little new blues music that I get into these days. My hope for the blues genre in the early 2000’s rested in people like Alvin Youngblood Hart and Corey Harris. AYH hasn’t made an album since 2005 (killer album Motivational Speaker) and I heard he is disillusioned with the music industry. Corey Harris, who is very eclectic and doesn’t necessarily stick to the blues genre, made a great blues album in 2013 called Fulton Blues, but it’s not the kind of blues that a white blues fan who just wants to be entertained would get into. Today, I’m loyal to some artists I’ve been into for a long time and that’s about it. I always buy the new Robert Cray album and his last two were in my top 10 in their respective years. I bought the new Jimmie Vaughan album that came out in 2019 and saw him live. John Hammond may be done making albums, but if he puts one out, I’ll buy it and I would love to see him live again. But not much else, other than the blues influenced music I might hear from people like Ray Wylie Hubbard and Parker Millsap. Oh, and Charlie Parr.
April 15, 2021 @ 6:08 am
The lack of knowledge of American music history is stunning. White male supremacy obviously rules right here at Saving Country Music, thankful this is not my world and I don’t want no part of that Dewey. I would guess most every comment, save one or two was made by a white male. Problem #1. Does D&I ring a bell to anyone here? Although Jack W. actually speaks intelligently about some of this – but I also think he would admit he may be out of touch with what’s happening in blues since the early 2000’s when he was into blues – “there is artistic evolution going on in country music outside of Music Row in a way that I don’t think is happening in the blues.” Not true.
Sadly though WMS is part of all of worlds and it’s time for it to be dismantled. It is a major problem in this country – that, and ignorance are more dangerous than false accusations of racism in blues music. Not one single country music fan or white guy should be weighing in on something they know little about- black blues music and cultural appropriation. Read, inform yourself and then SD&STFU.
Trigger, you are obviously more knowledgeable than others commenting here, however you should have done the right thing, and also remained silent. No one who knows KWS believes any of this and his career will be just fine – like his Father-in-Law, Mel. This is part of a much larger convo that respectfully really does not include you. A huge problem, that we have the internet to thank as well as social media.
Just an FYI black blues and roots music are WAYYY under-represented at both FAI and AMF – two orgs led by mostly white males.
And if I hear one more mention about 10 Day’s Out, I think I’ll effen scream! It means nothing and offers no context in this convo – a project that is 14 years old and has little relevance in supporting current D,E & I efforts in our country. Anyone who is informed about music history, knows it’s a formula as predictable as any out there in academia and music preservation. I’m sorry, I just don’t understand the significance of a privileged white guy showing their “reverence” for black music and culture by ft. them on their front porch or a dive bar. Not cool. Not even close.
April 17, 2021 @ 9:09 am
but I also think he would admit he may be out of touch with what’s happening in blues since the early 2000’s when he was into blues – “there is artistic evolution going on in country music outside of Music Row in a way that I don’t think is happening in the blues.” Not true.
That could very well be. I’m a roots music fan (and really, a natural roots rock fan more than anything else) and my ears are open for new blues music, but maybe that takes a bit more digging than I’ve been doing these days. I’m into a good number artists who are definitely influenced by the blues like Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, Valerie June and Bettye Lavette. And I’m looking forward to Amethyst Kiah’s new album, as her song Black Myself from the Our Native Daughters project has a bluesy feel to it and I love that one. And there are other singer/songwriters out there that I like that aren’t blues artists per se, but contribute good new songs of a blues nature, like Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Steve Earle. I liked Keb’ Mo’s BluesAmericana album and thought it was more bluesy and less adult comtemporary than his recent efforts before that, but was left a bit cold by his collaboration with Taj Mahal (TajMo – and one that I was looking forward to) and what I heard from his latest album. And unless someone’s at least somewhat original, I’m not necessarily going to bite on the latest blues guitarslinger. And I stopped buying “the new Buddy Guy album” about 10 years ago. The last one of his that really moved me was Sweet Tea around 2003.