Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s Blues Awards Nomination Rescinded Over Confederate Flag Use
Chris Willman Music WriterKenny Wayne Shepherd is no longer a contender for this year’s Blues Music Awards, due to his continued use of Confederate flag imagery that had been — pardon the expression — flagged by upset members of the sponsoring Blues Foundation organization.Shepherd’s use of the flag is associated with a recreation of the “Dukes of Hazzard” car that he had built in the mid-2000s and dubbed the “Xtreme Lee.” Shepherd has also used the “Xtreme Lee” branding on a product line that includes elements of the flag.Shepherd’s company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The Blues Foundation also announced that Ken Shepherd, the artist’s father, has been asked to step down as a member of its board of directors.