William Buckner Kenner II

Born in Houston, Texas on April 28th, 1951, I was hearing all types of music and playing in rock bands from the age of 12. I’ve had the music bug since the age of 2 and never stopped playing.

My dad owned Houston Iron and Steel Company. When I was 19 I left this business to pursue music.

I enjoyed showing cutting horses as a teenager and still have this passion.

My high school rock band opened in Beaumont, Texas for “The Who” on their first U.S. tour. From there I got into bluegrass music and played upright bass with the best of “Texas Fiddle Players”. Putting together a bluegrass band called “Bluefield”, we landed the opening of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida in 1971. I got my Mickey Mouse degree while playing mandolin and fiddle.

The bluegrass band moved to Nashville in 1973 in search of a recording contract. This is when I first began to find my niche in songwriting.

In 1974, Leon Russell, Willie Nelson, and J.J. Cale tapped our band to record with them for a week at Pete Drake’s studio. Pete then signed the band to his production company and landed us a record deal with Mercury Records. During this time I also played with Jeannie C. Riley , Vasser Clements Band, and was guest mandolinist with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for 2 years.

I played on numerous recordings and jingles for Pete Drake: Doublemint Gum, Chevrolet, Mazda, Lay’s Potato Chips, Pepsi, Mountain Dew and others. I was also playing on The Grand Ole Opry with Skeeter Davis which lasted for 7 years.

In 1977, I performed with J.J. Cale and in 1980 with Leon Russell and the New Grass Revival, touring the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada for 2 years.

At one point, I moved back to Houston to put together a band for Vincent Kickerillo. He wanted to start “The New Houston Rhythm Sound” for his new studio. He ended up hiring Elvis Presley’s band and I performed and recorded with them instead.

Since then I have gone on to write 3 number one country songs; Paradise Tonight, Your Love Is A Miracle and Holdin Heaven.

I have written for publishers: Quincy Jones for 3 years, MCA, Polygram, Tom Collins ,Morgan Music and EMI Publishing.

I have had record deals with MCA (pop) and Mercury (country). I was also a talent scout for Sony Music in Nashville for 2 years.

I have written songs recorded by Alan Jackson, LeeAnn Womack, Prince, Mark Chesnut, Tracey Byrd, Pat McGlaughlin, Billy Dean and the list goes on…

Instruments I play include guitars, mandolins, steel drums, keyboards, banjo, fiddle, percussion, etc.

I am currently in an “All-star” band, Jumbo Shrimp, where I write songs, sing, play several instruments including bass guitar, steel drums and mandolin. Jumbo Shrimp is a funky, Reggae country rock band.

I also play regularly with Jim Rooney and The Irregulars at The Station Inn in Nashville. Some of my bandmates include Dan Dugmore, Pat McLaughlin, Shawn Camp, Sam Bush and many other of Nashville’s finest musicians.

I am also featured in the new JJ Cale DVD, “To Tulsa and Back” in which I play mandolin followed by Eric Clapton.

Commercials I have appeared in include Wrangler Jeans, Chevrolet, Mazda, Red Man and area banks.

My two mandolin students have been Steve Cropper and Tommy Lee Jones (and I’ve only had 2 students).