Based in Houston, TX
Genre: #RnB #Zydeco #Reggae + More!
About Big Ken "Owner: Earth Strong Band"
Kenneth comes from a musical family and has been a professional musician for the last forty years. His grandfather Ollie Jackson was a prodigy on the piano and lead guitar. He passed his extensive knowledge of music to Kenneth and introduced him to the world of music at the age of 3. As a youth, Kenneth was in a band called Bubble Gum Machine. Bubble Gum Machine frequently opened for the legendary Ike and Tina Turner. Bubble Gum Machine was so well recognized, their band was compared to the Jackson 5.
At the age of 17, Big Ken joined a band called the Ellipses, which included the famous blues guitarist Albert King. He later joined St. Louis’s famous hometown band The St. Louis Sheiks. While still in high school he decided to form a band of his own called Soul Flight. Big Ken later relocated to New Mexico and joined a band called Ukulele Brothers, which they toured Santa Fe and Denver areas. Big Ken moved to Houston Texas where he started working with a saxophonist Window Brook. He later joined forces with the famous R&B stars Mickey Blue and Will Downing.
Big Ken became interested in Zydeco and teamed up with Zydeco’s favorite Lil Nathan of Lil Nathan & The Zydeco Big Timers, Big Ken has also played with Keith Frank. Big Ken joined Leroy Thomas Wilfred Schaefer, and also Ruben Moreno & Zydeco Re-Evolution for coast to coast tours. Big Ken has worked with countless musicians and recording artists from several genres of music such as, Mint Condition's Stokley Williams, Geto Boy's Scarface, gospel’s legends John P. Kee, Brenda Waters and more.
Empress Nelly
MusicianSongwriterVocalist
Empress Nelly was born in 1982 in St Louis Mo, USA. For Empress Nelly, her journey into the exciting world of music began at the age of 3 as she was heavily influenced by her parents’ musical performances throughout her childhood as their love for music was passed down to her.
Mom has been an R&B vocalist for over 25 years while Dad has played the bass guitar and other musical instruments for over 30 years. Both still perform and tour today. At an early age, she began to mimic the way her parents performed on stage in return; this inspired her to tap into her natural born talent as a musician and vocalist.