The Blues Foundation has rescinded the 2021 Blues Music Awards (BMA) nomination for Kenny Wayne Shepherd as Best Blues/Rock Artist over a racist Confederate flag emblem on a guitar presented to the musician and his ownership of a replica “General Lee” car from The Dukes of Hazzard television series.
The decision to rescind the nomination is in keeping with the Foundation’s statement Against Racism which asserts “The Blues Foundation unequivocally condemns all forms and expressions of racism, including all symbols associated with white supremacy and the degradation of people of color. We will hold ourselves as well as all blues musicians, fans, organizations, and members of the music industry accountable for racist actions and encourage concrete commitments to acknowledge and redress the resulting pain.”
The decision to rescind the nomination was based upon continuing revelations of racist representations of the Confederate flag by Shepherd. The Blues Foundation has also asked Ken Shepherd, father of Kenny Wayne Shepherd, to step down as a member of its board of directors.
In a statement posted to Facebook on March 18, Kenny Wayne Shepherd responded to the Blues Foundation.
“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.”
Ken Shepherd spoke with OffBeat about the controversy. He explained that his son attended the 2004 unveiling of the 1969 Dodge Charger “General Lee” at the Specialty Equipment Market Association Convention (SEMA) convention in Las Vegas and was presented with a Fender guitar featuring the Confederate emblem by the auto manufacturer. Another version of that car, known as “Xtreme Lee,” was made for the filming of the 2005 movie The Dukes of Hazzard, which was shot on location in New Orleans.
“Kenny has never performed with that guitar,” said Ken Shepherd. “Kenny does not put Confederate flags on anything and certainly not guitars.”
Ken Shepherd said that he joined the Blues Foundation board in December 2020 and has never attended an in-person meeting. “I’m new to the board and I have no idea why they would want to remove me.”
In 2015, reruns of The Dukes of Hazzard, which aired from 1979 to 1985, were dropped from the TVLand network following a mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
Tom Wopat, responding to the racist allegations against Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who starred in the show as Luke Duke, told The Hollywood Reporter that “the situation in the country has obviously changed in the last 40 years,” adding that “I feel fortunate to be living in a time when we can address some of the injustices of the past, but the [General Lee] car is innocent.”
The Blues Foundation is widely acknowledged as the foremost non-profit blues organization with more than 4,000 members and nearly 200 affiliated blues societies across the globe. The Foundation preserves blues heritage, celebrates blues recording and performance, expands worldwide awareness of the blues, and ensures the future of the uniquely American art form. The BMAs are generally recognized as the highest honor given to blues musicians. The Best Blues/Rock Artist is one of 25 BMA categories that are awarded by vote of Blues Foundation members. In addition to the BMAs, the Foundation also presents the International Blues Challenge, as well as Blues in the Schools, the HART Fund which provides grants to cover the medical needs of blues artists and, most recently, the COVID-19 Blues Musician Emergency Relief Fund which has distributed more than $250,000 to address the urgent needs of blues musicians impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ledbetter Heights was the debut album by Kenny Wayne Shepherd, released in 1995, when Shepherd was 18 years old. The album’s name refers to a traditionally African American neighborhood in Shepherd’s hometown of Shreveport. Allegedly, the place is named after Huddy Ledbetter, who went by the name of Lead Belly whose fame was revived by covers from Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. The younger of two children, Lead Belly was born Huddie William Ledbetter to Sallie Brown and Wesley Ledbetter on a plantation near Mooringsport, Louisiana. On his World War II draft registration card in 1942, he gave his birthplace as Freeport, Louisiana (“Shreveport”).
Ledbetter Heights was an immediate hit, selling over 500,000 copies by early 1996. It was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1996 and certified Platinum by 2004, and achieved an unusual level of commercial success for a blues album, especially considering Shepherd’s young age at release. Ledbetter Heights also spent 20 weeks topping Billboard’s blues chart. In their list of blues artists, Guitar World voted Shepherd #3 after B.B.King and Eric Clapton.
The 42nd BMAs will be presented as a virtual event on Sunday, June 6, 2021 starting at 4 p.m. CT. The ceremony will be live-streamed on the Blues Foundation Facebook and YouTube channel.
