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Matt Kennon

Presented by Hard Rock Cafe at Hard Rock Cafe Reverb Room

June 12, 2011

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Country rocker and indie success story Matt Kennon came to Nashville with the credo “record contract or restraining order” when he left the clubs of his native Atlanta Georgia. His grit and determination led him to top the charts with a #1 Heatseeker on the Billboard charts and a Top 20 (#19) for 2010’s self-titled Matt Kennon that included the radio hit “The Call”. The song struck a chord with listeners and spoke of a well-timed phone call that dealt with Kennon’s personal experiences regarding suicide and teen pregnancy and the emotionally-charged video received airplay on both GAC and CMT. “The Call” video is approaching 3 million views on YouTube.com with online hits totaling over 5 million.

Bobby Peacock of Roughstock.com commented “Matt Kennon's debut is a surprisingly fresh sound, and a testament to the treasures that can be found on the smaller, independent labels. While at times it's more rock than country, the consistently potent lyrics and gritty vocals are a killer combination”.

The whiskey-voiced Georgian was not discouraged in the least with the demise of his record label Bamajam in 2010 and continued writing from his early life experiences of chasing whiskey, women and rock ‘n roll that culminated in the release of his sophomore release 77 in May 2011. 

A southern city boy, Matt delivers songs in a country rock ‘n’ roll style depicting life, love and loss and he hopes 77 will bring more listeners to the format.

Tracks from 77 include “Drive It Like You Stole It”, “The Past Stops Here”, an unreleased version of “The Call”, and the auspicious “You Had To Pick On Me”, which deals with the topic of bullying and written by Kennon after a discussion with his sister who is a grade school teacher.

Randy Travis included the Matt Kennon/Noah Gordon penned song “Turn It Around” on his “I Told You So, the Ultimate Hits of Randy Travis” collection of greatest hits.

Kennon, who has shared the stage with Kenny Chesney, Darius Rucker, Lady Antebellum, Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Hank Williams Jr., Gretchen Wilson, Uncle Kracker, and Mark Chesnutt, has kept up an aggressive touring schedule. Upcoming live appearances include Nashville’s Hard Rock Café at the CMA Festival June 12th, and his fifth appearance at The Grand Ole Opry on July 22, 2011.