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Reflections From Keb' Mo'
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GRAMMY winner discusses his musical influences, first concert experience and why Nashville is a unique music community
GRAMMYs
Aug 30, 2012 - 2:41 pm
GRAMMY.com

GRAMMY-winning musician Keb' Mo' was among the artists who performed at The Recording Academy Nashville Chapter's recent 14th Annual GRAMMY Block Party & Membership Celebration. In an exclusive interview with GRAMMY.com, Keb' Mo' discussed his musical influences and mentors, his first concert experience, winning a GRAMMY Award, and what makes the Nashville music community unique, among other topics.

"It's like the end of a certain road you're on," says Keb' Mo' about the experience of winning a GRAMMY. "It's like a destination point that you get to, and once you get to the destination point you go on past that. You take in the moment and you let it go." 

With a musical palette that spans R&B, jazz, blues, country, and folk, Keb' Mo' has earned his renown as an inspired singer/songwriter and top-flight guitarist. Released in 1996, his sophomore album, Just Like You, earned him his first GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Keb' Mo' garnered a second GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Blues Album in 1998 for his third effort, Slow Down. In 2004 Keb' Mo' released Keep It Simple, for which he earned his third GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Blues Album and topped Billboard's Blues Albums chart. In addition to writing or co-writing all 12 songs and playing various instruments, Keb' Mo' also produced and co-engineered the album.

Keb' Mo' released his most recent album, The Reflection, in 2011. The album features collaborations with GRAMMY winners India.Arie and Vince Gill and saxophonist Dave Koz, and peaked at No. 81 on the Billboard 200, his highest-charting album to date. The Reflection received a nomination for Best Blues Album at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards. 

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All-Stars Channel B.B. King In "The Thrill Is Gone" Performance
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Joe Bonamassa, Keb' Mo', Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Slash, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, and more trade licks at Icon: The Life And Legacy Of B.B. King
GRAMMYs
Sep 16, 2016 - 11:25 am
GRAMMY.com

A variety of all-star musicians came together to salute the late 15-time GRAMMY-winning blues legend B.B. King on Sept. 1 at Icon: The Life And Legacy Of B.B. King, a live tribute concert supporting GRAMMY Foundation and GRAMMY Museum initiatives.

Watch below an electric eight-minute-plus performance of the King classic "The Thrill Is Gone" featuring GRAMMY winners Keb' Mo', Slash, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, and Jimmie Vaughan; GRAMMY nominees Joe Bonamassa and Kenny Wayne Shepherd; blues guitarist Joe Louis Walker, singer/guitarist Quinn Sullivan and singer/songwriter ZZ Ward. The all-star congregation was backed by Jimmy Vivino of the "Conan" show, who served as musical director for the evening, and the Basic Cable Band.

Prior to the event, many musicians heralded the enduring influence of King and his inimitable guitar style during an exclusive backstage interview. "[When] I put on B.B. King's Live At The Regal, it was my first introduction to the blues, properly," said Bonamassa.

A hit for King in 1969, "The Thrill Is Gone" won the Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male GRAMMY for 1970 and was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 1998, one of four King recordings in the Hall. The song ranked No. 316 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. In addition to his 15 GRAMMY Awards, King was honored with a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987.

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GRAMMY Insider: John Lennon, Bob Newhart, Pink, And Britney Spears
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All the GRAMMY winners news, including details on Britney Spears' Las Vegas residency
GRAMMYs
Sep 19, 2013 - 12:30 pm
GRAMMY.com

(The GRAMMY Insider keeps you up to date about news on your favorite GRAMMY winners, including new album releases, tour updates, notable media appearances, interviews, and more.)

Touring/Events
Britney Spears is coming to Las Vegas, b****. The pop songstress has announced a two-year residency at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino that will begin Dec. 27 and include 50 shows per year. "I love it here," said Spears on "Good Morning America." "The energy here is really, really good." … Blues artist Keb' Mo' will join the Playing For Change band and the Doors' drummer John Densmore, among others, to perform a benefit concert on Sept. 21 in honor of Playing For Change Day at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, Calif. … Warren Haynes and Skrillex will participate in a keynote case study that will examine the lasting impact of the Grateful Dead on touring at the 10th annual Billboard Touring Conference & Awards, taking place Nov. 13–14 in New York.

Awards
Pink is still f***in' perfect. In honor of her overall success in the music business and her leadership in embracing a changing industry, Pink will be honored as Billboard's Woman of the Year at the magazine's 2013 Billboard Women in Music event on Dec. 10 in New York. … Producer T Bone Burnett will be honored for his contributions to film and television music with the Maestro Award at the 2013 Billboard/Hollywood Reporter Film and TV Music Conference on Oct. 30 in Hollywood, Calif. … Tip your hat to 84-year-old Bob Newhart. The GRAMMY-winning comedian picked up his first Emmy Award for guesting on "The Big Bang Theory" at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sept. 15. Newhart's first Emmy nomination came in 1962. 

New Music
Official GRAMMY portrait photographer Danny Clinch recently lent his creative eye to direct the music video for Pearl Jam's "Sirens," the second single from their forthcoming album Lightning Bolt, due Oct. 15. The Seattle rockers' first video from the album, "Mind Your Manners," was also directed by Clinch.

Charts
Keith Urban has lit a fuse on the Billboard charts. The country singer debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with Fuse, marking his second album to top the chart following 2009's GRAMMY-nominated Defying Gravity.

Tune In
Paul McCartney and Justin Timberlake will appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Sept. 23 and Sept. 24, respectively. Aside from interviews with Kimmel, both will perform free outdoor concerts for expected record-breaking crowds on Hollywood Boulevard.

#theysaidit
In a recently unearthed interview with The Village Voice's Howard Smith, John Lennon admits recording the Beatles' Let It Be album was "hell." "It's torture every time we produce anything," Lennon said. "The Beatles haven't got any magic you haven't got." We have a feeling many Beatles fans would beg to differ.

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MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert Adds Performers
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GRAMMY winners Keb' Mo' and Metallica to perform at MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert honoring Ozzy Osbourne and Jeff Greenberg
GRAMMYs
Mar 17, 2014 - 2:01 pm
GRAMMY.com

GRAMMY winners Keb' Mo' and Metallica will perform at the 10th anniversary MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert honoring GRAMMY-winning Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne and owner and CEO of the Village studios Jeff Greenberg at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on May 12. Continuing to celebrate the memory of the late DJ AM, the evening's DJ will be Mix Master Mike. There will also be a performance by Osbourne and his touring band with special guest Slash.

Osbourne will be presented with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award by GRAMMY winner Joe Walsh for his dedication and support of the MusiCares MAP Fund, and for his commitment to helping others with the addiction recovery process. Greenberg will be presented with MusiCares' From the Heart Award by comedian and "The Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson for his unconditional friendship and dedication to the mission and goals of the organization.

For MusiCares MAP Fund benefit dinner and concert ticket information, contact Wynnie Wynn at 310.392.3777 or wynniew@grammy.com. General admission seats are on sale now.

All proceeds from the concert will benefit the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides members of the music community access to addiction recovery treatment regardless of their financial situation.

For breaking news and exclusive content, visit MusiCares' social networks on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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Keb' Mo' Keeps It Simple
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GRAMMY-winning musician discusses his biggest career moments and future plans
GRAMMYs
Mar 20, 2013 - 3:21 pm
GRAMMY.com

GRAMMY-winning musician Keb' Mo' recently visited The Recording Academy's Nashville Chapter and participated in an exclusive GRAMMY.com interview. Keb' Mo' discussed his biggest career moments, the message he wants to communicate through his songs and future plans, among other topics.

"I've done a lot for me. I've done all the records that I want to do," said Keb' Mo'. "Now I want to do one for people who have been supporting me. It's a selfless but satisfying experience that I'm looking to have on [my] next record."

Born Kevin Moore in Los Angeles, Keb' Mo's music spans multiple genres, including R&B, jazz, pop, and folk. He released his self-titled debut in 1994, followed by 1996's Just Like You, which earned him his first GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Blues Album. In 1998 Keb' Mo' garnered a second GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Slow Down. He took home his third GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Blues Album for 2004's Keep It Simple, which topped Billboard's Blues Albums chart. In addition to writing or co-writing all 12 songs and playing various instruments, Keb' Mo' also produced Keep It Simple. In 2005 he was nominated for a Best Country Song GRAMMY for "I Hope," which he co-wrote with GRAMMY-winning trio Dixie Chicks.

Keb' Mo's most recent album, 2011's The Reflection, received a nomination for Best Blues Album at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards and cracked the top 100 on the Billboard 200. The album features collaborations with GRAMMY winners India.Arie and Vince Gill and saxophonist Dave Koz, as well as the tracks "The Whole Enchilada," "We Don't Need It" and a cover of the Eagles' "One Of These Nights." Keb' Mo' is currently on a U.S. tour, with select dates scheduled through June.