The first album Kenny talks about gave him his first hit song "Ledbetter Heights" which is now 30 years-old. The "Ledbetter Heights: The 30th Anniversary Session" album from the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band is to be released May 8, 2026.

"We out on tour now," Kenny told me as we talked about his show coming to the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts June 20th. "We're playing from the album ("Ledbetter Heights: The 30th Anniversary Session") for the first time."

The music video from the title track has garnered over 2,200 in just two weeks. His "Hey Baby" music video with Bobby Rush has over 56,000 views in just a year and his "I Found Love" music video released two months ago has over 19,000 views. The Kenny Wayne Shepherd YouTube Channel, which offers music videos from as far back as 11 years, has over 134,000 subscribers.

"They didn't have YouTube," he said with a slight laugh when I mentioned how his YouTube Channel videos go back 11 years! "They had VH1. I miss those days. I miss (fans) buying records...now they just add my song to their playlist. An album is a body of work...a song on a playlist...it's easier to play."

Born in 1977, the Blues/Rock icon debuted his ‘Ledbetter Heights" song when he was a teen. The project gave him his first Grammy Award nomination - as a teen! In fact, this project honored him with five Grammy nominations. He has also garnered two Billboard Music Awards, two Blues Music Awards, multiple Billboard chart-topping hits, and is a multi-platinum selling singer, songwriter and guitarist.

"I am in the studio now, working on another record," Kenny pointed out laughing when we were talking about him constantly releasing new music. "I released three records in three years!"

I learned during the conversation that he is doing all this while married and I asked about that and he said, "I found out the goal is to find the right balance. I made a commitment to my fans and a commitment to my marriage. After years of trails and errors, I've learned to tour for no more than four weeks (at a time)."

A Louisiana native, Kenny Wayne Shepherd is a self-taught guitarist who received his first guitar from his grandmother at the tender age of three. She saw something musical in him and she was right. Shepherds' father was a local radio personality and concert promoter which introduced Kenny to an environment conducive to cultivating a musical legend. He was 13 years old when he first played guitar on the stage after he was basically pushed there by Blues musician Bryan Lee. Kenny Wayne Shepherd signed his first major record deal with Giant Records in his mid-teens and debuted with his "Trouble Is..." album in his late-teens which produced seven Billboard Top 10 Singles, which "Ledbetter Height" was amongst.

"I think I was 18...I think it was both (Grandmother and father)," he said when I asked about his musical influences and at what age he took it seriously. "My dad was a DJ (and concert promoter), so music was there 24/7. I signed my record deal at 16 and released my first album at 17-18."

In 2007 Shepherd garnered two more Grammy Award nominations with his "10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads" project. Kenny's music also appears on the soundtrack of the Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker film. He performed with Bobby Rush on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Shepherd, a joker himself, said when he was a teen and put out his first album he didn't think anyone would buy it - but buy it they did in packs.

"I remember recording at 17. I wrote these songs...handed them to the record label and was wondering, what if nobody cares," the legend recalled.  www.CerritosCenter.com www.KennyWayneShepherd.net

The single Maddy and Colton released is co-written by the duo and Ryan "Uncle Ryano" Reynolds. The single is produced by Reynolds and Bryan Austin.

"I started writing songs at the age of 12 or 13," Maddy added. "I picked up the piano a little. Colton started playing the piano."

"We started singing together at open-mics and gigs, it's been about two years," Colton said of their experience singing together before this debut single "He Rose." "A guy we met through our Uncle Ryano helped write the song."

"We never met....the first time we met he pitched this song," Grace pointed out.

If you heard the duo, you would think they have been singing and harmonizing together since birth! Colton has that deep vocal rhythm that is signature Country and Maddy has that iconic Country vibe that connects to your soul.

"A vocal coach introduced us to sibling harmony," Maddy told me when I complimented them on their harmonizing abilities.

"I kicked off the music thing...I was involved in church youth ministry," Maddy said when I asked at what point did they start recording music seriously.

Though both are from Houston, Maddy said her musical influences are artists such as Taylor Swift. You can hear that Pop influence because though she has a traditional Country sound, there is that Contemporary edge to her style.

"We have our mom-manager...our uncle handles the social media, and our 11-year-old sister is in charge of our merc," Colton laughed as we discussed their supportive team.

"Our parents don't play instruments or sing," Maddy added.

"I think we're planning to first release two more singles...then just me on three songs and just Maddy on three," Colton broke it down for me about their future after their debut single "He Rose" - a story of sacrifice, redemption and hope.

The duo Maddy & Colton have already garnered honors - Texas Youth Music festival Award and the Houston Songwriting Festival Award. Their social media platforms have over 35,000 followers and though they just debuted they have over 27,000 views on their music video. The "He Rose" single is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music.  www.MaddyandColton.com

SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Dr. Eunice Moseley has an estimated weekly readership of over one million for her column The Pulse of Entertainment. She is the publisher of the digital magazine www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com, which has an estimated 160,000 visitors a month. An entrepreneur, Dr. Moseley’s company, Freelance Associates, is a business management/public relations strategic planning and consulting firm that is celebrating 32 years in 2025. Dr. Eunice also serves as professor for the School of Business at Stanton University in Anaheim, California and serves as promotions director (at-large)/journalist and business consultant for The Baltimore Times. Dr. Moseley founded the Uplifting Minds II Foundation (www.UpliftingMinds.com) in 2023, a 501 C3 with a mission to empower the underserved through three major programs – One Stop Business Shop, the ULMII Professional Conference and the ULMII Academy (business management and public relations). EVENTS: "Uplifting Minds II" Entertainment Conference (ULMII), was launched by Dr. Eunice in 1999, to educate aspiring artists/musicians about the business of entertainment – www.UpliftingMinds2.com. Next ULMII Entertainment Conferences for Baltimore on Saturday April 18, 2026, presented by Security Square Mall and The Baltimore Times, and for Los Angeles on Saturday, November 7, 2026, presented by The Pulse of Entertainment and the ULMII Foundation. The ULMII conferences are free with virtual access via Zoom. ULMII entertainment conference offers a Professional Panel Q&A Session, a Professional Talent Showcase and International Talent Competition where the top three scored acts receive the ULMII Best Act Award and over $20,000 valued in prizes/product/services and cash!