Keb' Mo' talks blues, B.B. King and staying young

He's been one of the biggest names in blues for the last 20 years, and won three Grammys along the way. But what does Keb' Mo' do for fun when he's not making music?

That's a tough one.

The Nashville resident - whose full name is Kevin Moore - ponders that question for a moment.

"My biggest hobby is taking out the recycling," he says. "I put the recycling in the minivan and drive down to (the recycling center), sorting it and dumping out. I'm meeting all of the people at the recycling place - 'Hey Keb! How ya doing there? Don't you have someone that does that for you?' Yeah - me!"

Anything else? Well, he likes to write songs and play his guitar - which, on second thought, probably falls under the "music-making" category.

That's what happens when you devote your life to the blues, and that fact should be plain to see when Moore takes the stage at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Friday, August 28. He aims to give his audience "a show where you go home happy."

Moore is bringing the blues to Nashville's symphony hall three months after the genre lost its biggest star -- and Moore's friend -- B.B. King, who died in May at age 89.

"It was a tough loss, but we knew it was coming. And we knew he was going to play until he couldn't play anymore," he says. "I look back, and I go, 'Wow. I had a whole life of B.B. King.' I'm 63 years old, and B.B. King has been around my whole life. I mean, we didn't even get 10 years of Jimi Hendrix, you know? But we got a lifetime of B.B. King."

It's inspiring for him to see artists like King and Buddy Guy continuing to thrill crowds into their 70s and 80s. Moore seems poised to follow in their footsteps - especially since he's in remarkably good shape for a guy in his 60s.

"One thing with me, I didn't beat myself up physically. I never played sports. I never did a lot of hard labor. I did a lot of dues-paying, and I maybe missed a few meals...I'm older, but I still feel pretty damn good,"

He pauses for a moment.

"I mean damn good. (laughs)."

Keb' Mo' performs at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Friday, August 28. The show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $39-$79.