Keb’ Mo’ was born Kevin Roosevelt Moore in Compton, Calif. He grew up playing guitar with friends, and began playing professionally with rock/blues violinist Papa John Creach in the early 1970s when he was 21.
In the years that followed, bluesman Keb’ Mo’ earned respect as a songwriter, arranger and musician, and also in the early 1990s for his work as a stage actor and musician in two plays — “The Rabbit Foot” and “Spunk” — written by African American playwrights.
Keb’ Mo’ released his self-titled debut album in 1994. He played blues legend Robert Johnson in the 1997 documentary film “Can’t You Hear the Wind Howl?: The Life and Music of Robert Johnson,” sat in with the Muppets on “Sesame Street” in 2001 and performed in the East Room of the White House in 2015.
The five-time Grammy Award winner also was one of more than 20 artists in Michelle Obama’s Turnaround Arts program who participated in recording “Everyday People” in 2016. Produced by Playing for Change, the viral video also featured Hawaii’s Jake Shimabukuro, Jack Johnson and Paula Fuga.
Keb’ Mo’, who turned 70 in October, released his 19th career album, “Good to Be …,” in January.
He will play three nights at Blue Note Hawaii Friday through March 27. On April 5, the musician is scheduled to receive a star on the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville, Tenn.
Nashville is honoring you, along with three mainstream country music artists — Dierks Bentley, Bobby Bare and Connie Smith. How did the city that is the capital of country music become your home?
When I got married, my wife lived in Portland, Ore. She said she would live in L.A. for two years. I thought she’d forget about it, but she didn’t, so we moved to Nashville. We’ve been here 12 years now. It’s a great place to make music.
How did you discover Robert Johnson?
A friend of mine came over the house and he played “If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day,” and I was, like, “Whoa!” Not long after that the (Robert Johnson) boxed set came out. Right about that same time, I got a theater gig playing acoustic blues in “The Rabbit Foot.” It was like a crash course in country blues. I’d take the songs I was rehearsing for the play and play them out in front of people.
Where does “Spunk” fit in your career?
Right after I did “Rabbit Foot.” The first time I was the understudy (for the role of Guitar Man) — and a fly on the wall studying everything backstage. It was like a gift from God. A couple of years later, I was cast as Guitar Man (in another production), and then a friend was casting (for a third production), so I got to explore the role again. I really love the work that you do in the theater.
The title song of your new album describes the feeling of being home. You live in Nashville but bought and renovated your childhood home in Compton. How does that fit in with what you’re doing these days?
The house we grew up in was in really bad shape. Meanwhile, I’m living in Nashville in this suburban neighborhood, kind of upscale and not much diversity. So I asked my sisters, could I buy it from the family? My wife was on board with it, so we bought it and restored it. It’s a spare house for the family. Because some of the new TV work is out in L.A., I need to be there sometimes for that, and my sisters know that I’m invested in the community. I’m also the patriarch of the family, “Old Uncle Mo,’ ” and I have friends come by and start talking about the old times, lying and talking loud. It’s a lot of fun.
One of the poignant songs on the album, “ ‘62 Chevy,” is about a man trying to reconnect with the woman he loves. Is that the front seat of a ‘62 Chevy on the album cover?
No, it’s a ‘61 Oldsmobile. I really like the ‘62 Chevy, it had a great body style. But when I started looking online, I found a lot of emphasis on the ‘63 and the ‘64 and the ‘65. The ‘62 wasn’t as popular as I thought it was, and we couldn’t find one, so we borrowed the Oldsmobile from a friend’s cousin (for the photo shoot). It was hard to start, but when you got it rolling it was great. And it was loud.
Q: You have plans to tour in Europe later this year. Is there a country that stands out as being especially interested in your music?
A: England is easy because of the language, but Germany is probably the standout country, and then Italy and Spain, and Denmark is great. What’s great about going to Europe is that (in many countries) you have to convey things with your art and your emotions, not the lyrics.
Will you be watching the Grammys on April 3?
I’ve liked watching the Grammys since I was a kid. The Grammys are very inspirational to me. I like to see who’s getting noticed because being my age, I’ve been out of touch with new music for a long time.
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Reach John Berger at jberger@staradvertiser.com.
