Northside Saturday Nights: Kevin Burt

For nearly 3 decades, Kevin Burt, Iowa Blues Hall of Fame member (class of 2019), has been mesmerizing audiences with his powerfully smooth and soulful vocals. Paired with his unique harmonica and guitar presentation and his quick wit, Kevin engages with his audience touching their souls while tickling their funny bones.
On January 5, 2024, Kevin Burt will be releasing his new album Thank You, Brother Bill: A Tribute to Bill Withers (Gulf Coast Records), the second album for the label, featuring soulful singer/guitarist/songwriter Kevin Burt and his band, Big Medicine, with CD pre-order available now.
“Kevin Burt has been a force for years and is finally getting the International recognition he so deeply deserves,” says Gulf Coast Records founder Mike Zito. “His voice is commanding and soulful and his songs are honest and from the heart. On his new album, Kevin resonates his soul with the music of Bill Withers. They have a connection deeper than their voices. This album is a must for all Bill Withers fans and will bring Kevin Burt to the masses.”
“Listening to Bill Withers tell a story or sing a song for me is one and the same,” adds Kevin Burt. “It instantly attaches itself to my soul. Mr. Withers told me in a roughly two-hour conversation we had many things that (pardon the pun) lean on today. One of those nuggets of insight was to ‘tell the stories that make me feel most vulnerable, that’s what people connect with.’ His story relates to my story. His songs relate to different points in time in my life like no other as an artist. I hope to someday have an impact on someone else’s world the way Mr. Withers has had an impact on mine. I hope that you enjoy the stories/songs as much as I have over the years. These are some of my favorites, not just because of the words or the story, but because of their attachment to my own personal story, I hope that I did the songs justice. Big love, Brother Bill Withers, and big love to you all.”
Over the years, Kevin Burt has won numerous awards and played many festivals, both solo and with his band. Competing with 235 bands & solo/duo acts from around the world, he absolutely crushed it at the Blues Foundation’s 34th International Blues Challenge (IBC) in 2018, taking home top honors in three categories: first place in the Solo/Duo category; the Cigar Box Guitar Award recognizing him as the best guitar player in the Solo/Duo category; and the Lee Oskar Award for Best Harmonica Player. In 2019, Kevin was nominated for a Blues Music Award for his debut album, Heartland and Soul (Best Emerging Artist Album) and was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame. In 2020, his Gulf Coast Records debut recording, Stone Crazy, was nominated in four categories for The Independent Blues Awards: Best Soul/Blues Album, Song (“Stone Crazy”) and Vocalist, as well as a nomination for Gateway Artist of the Year. He was also nominated for Best Soul/Blues album for the Blues Blast Awards, as well as the Artist on the Rise Award. Additionally, he was awarded in 2021 the Bobby Rush Lifetime Achievement in Entertainment by the Jus’ Blues Foundation. That year he was also nominated for Acoustic Artist of the Year at the Blues Music Awards.