Those who have had the chance to watch Myles Kennedy live have probably already noticed how captivating he is on stage. However, based on his last conversation with Louder Sound, it sounds like it was challenging for an introvert who initially had self-esteem problems to turn into such a rock star. During the chat, Kennedy shared the exact moment that changed everything about his onstage persona.
“I tried, and I tried, but I could never quite find that persona,” he said, recalling the early times of his career. “And looking back, it’s embarrassing. I felt like an imposter, and I felt like people knew it too, like they were looking at me thinking: ‘This guy is bullshitting me.’ They maybe didn’t believe in me as a rock star because I didn’t believe in me either.”
He continued, “We were opening for Aerosmith, and it was one of the first shows I played with Slash in front of my parents, so I was kinda operating with that rock guy persona. Then after the show, I’m hanging out, and my stepdad pulled me aside and said, ‘You know, just don’t forget who you are.’”
“And man, that was an important moment for me,” the rocker admitted, “because at that point I realized: ‘You know what, I’m just gonna be me up there, and if people like it, great, if they don’t that’s fine too. And since I started doing that, I finally felt comfortable in my skin.”
Kennedy pinpointed the precise moment when he stopped trying to be someone else and began to accept and even like who he was. The memory he mentioned took place during a side project he was working on back in 2014. Myles started collaborating with Slash in 2009 and has been fronting Slash & The Conspirators since then. The life-altering moment took place after one of these gigs in 2014.
It all happened when he talked to his stepfather Glenn backstage after that concert. This speech served as the impetus for change, and he finally knew who he was. Since then, the artist, who has rocked the stage with his captivating performances and original voice that combines soul and rock sounds, has continued his music career without losing his energy. Now, a busy touring schedule awaits him with Alter Bridge. After hitting the road in the States for the next three months, they’ll move on to Europe.
