Keb' Mo' facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Keb' Mo'
Keb' Mo', with a Hamer guitar, at the Crossroads Guitar Festival, June 26, 2010
Background information
Birth name	Kevin Roosevelt Moore
Born	(1951-10-03) October 3, 1951 (age 73) South Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Delta blues, country blues, Americana
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, guitarist
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, harmonica, banjo, mandolin, bass, keyboards
Years active	1970s–present
Labels	Chocolate City, Epic, Yolabelle International, Kind Of Blue Music, Concord/Rounder Records

Kevin Roosevelt Moore (born October 3, 1951), known as Keb' Mo' (his nickname), is an American blues musician. He is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Many people say he helps keep the old Delta blues style alive. This is a type of blues music that came from the Mississippi River area. Keb' Mo's music mixes traditional blues with folk, rock, jazz, pop, and country sounds. His nickname, "Keb' Mo'," was given to him by his first drummer.

Biography

Early Life and Musical Start

Keb' Mo's parents were from Louisiana and Texas. They taught him to love blues and gospel music from a young age. By the time he was a teenager, he was already a very good guitarist.

He began his music career playing steel drums in a calypso band. Then, in the 1970s and 1980s, he played in many blues and backup bands.

Rising to Fame

Keb' Mo' started recording music in the early 1970s. He worked with Jefferson Airplane violinist Papa John Creach. Creach hired him when Keb' Mo' was only 21 years old. He appeared on four of Creach's albums.

He also helped write a song called "Git Fiddler" for Jefferson Starship's album Red Octopus. This album became number one on the Billboard 200 chart in 1975.

In 1980, Keb' Mo' released his first album, Rainmaker, under his birth name, Kevin Moore. He then spent a lot of time playing blues music with the Whodunit Band. This helped him become a true blues artist.

From 1990 to 1993, Keb' Mo' acted in a musical called Spunk. He played a character called Guitar Man, who performed all the music in the play. This role helped shape his stage presence.

Breakthrough Albums and Grammy Wins

In 1994, he released his self-titled album, Keb' Mo'. This album included two classic songs by the famous blues musician Robert Johnson. Keb' Mo' has said that Johnson greatly influenced his music.

His second album, Just Like You, came out in 1996. It had 12 songs with strong blues rhythms. This album won him his first Grammy Award. Famous artists like Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt also appeared on it.

In 1997, Keb' Mo' performed on a TV show called Sessions at West 54th. He played 14 songs from his albums. Blues pianist Dr. John was a special guest. This performance was later released as a DVD.

His next album, Slow Down, was released in 1998. It earned him a second Grammy Award. The album starts with "Muddy Water," a song honoring the legendary blues artist Muddy Waters.

Music for All Ages

In 2000, Keb' Mo' released The Door. The same year, he released Big Wide Grin, which was a children's album. It featured songs from his own childhood and some new children's songs.

In 2001, he appeared on Sesame Street with Kermit the Frog, Grover, Elmo, and other muppets. They performed the song "Everybody Be Yo'self." He also performed "America the Beautiful" on the TV show The West Wing in 2006.

More Awards and Collaborations

In 2003, Keb' Mo' worked with director Martin Scorsese on a series of films called The Blues. He also released an album as part of this series.

He won his third Grammy Award in 2004 for his album Keep It Simple. Later that year, he released Peace... Back by Popular Demand.

In 2010, Keb' Mo' performed at the Crossroads Guitar Festival. He played acoustic songs with Stefan Grossman and electric songs with artists like Vince Gill and Sheryl Crow.

His album The Reflection came out in 2011. In 2012, he performed at a special White House event called "Red, White and Blues."

In 2014, his album BLUESAmericana was nominated for three Grammy Awards. It later won the 'Contemporary Blues Album' award at the Blues Music Awards in 2015.

Keb' Mo' supports the charity Playing For Change, which connects musicians worldwide. He has appeared in videos and on albums for the charity. He even donates part of his album sales to them.

In late 2015, he performed at another special concert at the White House. This event celebrated American creativity and the 50th anniversary of the National Foundation on the Arts.

In 2017, Keb' Mo' teamed up with Taj Mahal to release a joint album called TajMo. This album won the 2018 Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

His album Oklahoma was released in 2019. It featured guest artists like Rosanne Cash and his wife, Robbie Brooks Moore. Keb' Mo' won the Grammy Award for "Best Americana Album" for Oklahoma in 2020.

Film and TV Projects

In 1998, Keb' Mo' played the role of Robert Johnson in a documentary film.

He also appeared in the TV series Touched by an Angel several times, playing the character Isaac, the Angel of Music. He performed songs from his albums on the show.

The 2003 movie Holes used a new version of his song "Just Like You." In 2007, he played a character named Possum in the movie Honeydripper.

Keb' Mo' has also helped with music for TV shows like Mike and Molly and B Positive.

Supporting Good Causes

In 2004, Keb' Mo' joined the Vote for Change tour. This tour aimed to encourage people to vote and support certain political ideas. He performed with artists like Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne.

Keb' Mo' is also part of the No Nukes group. This group is against the expansion of nuclear power. In 2007, they recorded a music video for a new version of the song "For What It's Worth."

Equipment

Keb' Mo' uses different types of guitars, including electric, acoustic, and resonator guitars. He likes red guitars and often plays a red custom Fender Stratocaster. On stage, he often uses a red Hamer guitar.

Sadly, two of his electric guitars were lost in the 2010 Nashville flood. He owns many acoustic and resonator guitars from different brands.

Discography

Albums

• Rainmaker (1980) – Released under the name "Kevin Moore"
• Keb' Mo' (1994) – Won W.C. Handy Award for Best Country/Acoustic Blues Album of the Year, 1995
• Just Like You (1996) – Won Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album, 1997
• Slow Down (1998) – Won Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album, 1999
• The Door (2000) – Nominated Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album
• Sessions at West 54th: Recorded Live in New York (2000) – Recorded in 1997
• Big Wide Grin (2001) – Nominated Grammy Award for Best Musical Album for Children
• Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Keb' Mo' (2003) – Part of The Blues film series
• Keep It Simple (2004) – Won Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album, 2005
• Peace... Back by Popular Demand (2004)
• Suitcase (2006) – Nominated Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album
• Live and Mo' (2009) – Included live and new studio recordings
• The Reflection (2011) – Nominated Grammy Award for Best Blues Album, 2012
• BLUESAmericana (2014) – Nominated Grammy Award for Best Americana Album, 2014
• Keb' Mo' Live – That Hot Pink Blues Album (2016)
• TajMo (2017) – Collaboration album with Taj Mahal, won Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy 2017
• Oklahoma (2019) – Won the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album, 2020
• Moonlight, Mistletoe & You (2019)
• Good to Be... (2022)

DVDs

• Sessions at West 54th – Recorded Live in New York (1997)
• Exploring the Guitar with Keb' Mo' (2000)
• The Blues Guitar of Keb' Mo'' (2002)
• Keb' Mo' & Guests (2011)

Awards and Nominations

Grammy Awards

Images for kids

• 

  Keb' Mo' playing his Hamer guitar.

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  Keb' Mo' performing with Dan Aykroyd.

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  Keb' Mo' performing in 2020.

See also

In Spanish: Keb' Mo' para niños