Big Kenny

Although originating from rural Virginia, Kenny Alphin achieved recognition only after relocating to Nashville and adopting the stage name Big Kenny, where he earned platinum certification as half of the country duo Big & Rich. Their boisterous wit combined with an openness to multiple styles brought an initial run of successes on the 2004 album Horse of a Different Color. Before that project appeared, both musicians had already secured footholds in Nashville through solo releases issued in 1999, then joined forces in 2001 to launch the weekly songwriters’ gathering known as the MuzikMafia. Earlier group experience further prepared them: Kenny had fronted the short-lived luvjOi, while John Rich spent several years as bassist for Lonestar. Those credentials enabled Big & Rich to cultivate listeners rapidly, which in turn drove Horse of a Different Color past three million copies sold. In addition to co-writing much of the duo’s repertoire, Big Kenny supplied material for other acts, among them the title track of Gretchen Wilson’s Here for the Party and the chart-topping single “Last Dollar (Fly Away)” for Tim McGraw. He sustained output with Big & Rich while advancing a separate solo path, issuing his second album, The Quiet Times of a Rock and Roll Farm Boy, in 2009.