• October 3, 1951
• Keb' Mo' was born Kevin Roosevelt Moore in Compton, California. The South Los Angeles neighborhood was also home to many other musical luminaries, including the rap group N.W.A., who released their famed debut album, Straight Outta Compton, in 1988, which Mo' calls "a freakin' masterpiece."
• He's most proud of the songs "Henry," "Change," and "Marvelous To Me," because they all use optimism to deal with social issues, which is his favorite way to write.
• His diverse musical influences came from cruising the streets as a teenager and listening to all sorts of different genres on the radio, which, he says, was the norm in the '60s when music wasn't categorized as tightly. He also credits his mother, Lauvella Cole, who sang in church and had an affinity for jazz records, for instilling him with a love of gospel and blues music.
• He started his recording career as a member of Papa John Creach's (of Jefferson Airplane) backing band in the '70s.
• He worked on his 2022 album, Good To Be, during the coronavirus lockdown, which inspired his pandemic-themed single "The Medicine Man."
• He agrees with the not-guilty verdict for Kyle Rittenhouse - the 17-year-old who fatally shot two protesters and wounded another with an AR-15 style rifle in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020 - on the grounds that Rittenhouse was a juvenile, but he thinks the parents should have been held accountable.
  
  How does this relate to his music? Mo' is big on accountability: "My aim is to express things with love and, first of all, take responsibility myself and to encourage others to take their own responsibility."

Comments

More Songfacts:

Hunger StrikeTemple of the Dog

"Hunger Strike" by Temple of the Dog features Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder, and was Vedder's first music video.

LolaThe Kinks

When The Kinks released "Lola," most people didn't realize Lola was a man. "I was dancing with this beautiful blonde, then we went out into the daylight and I saw her stubble," Ray Davies said of the inspiration.

Opposites AttractPaula Abdul

MC Skat Kat was created for the remix of "Opposites Attract," which was released as the last single from Paula Abdul's Forever Your Girl album. The team that created the Kat also did a-ha's "Take On Me" video.

Whip ItDevo

Devo got the idea for their "Whip It" video from an article about a guy who owned a dude ranch and charged people to watch him remove his wife's clothes with a bullwhip.

JumpVan Halen

Van Halen's first #1 hit was "Jump," an unusual song for the band because the lead instrument was synthesizer, not guitar.

Santa Claus Is Coming To TownEddie Cantor

"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" is the most performed holiday song of all time, according to a Top 30 list released by the performance rights organization ASCAP in December 2014.

Editor's Picks

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"They're Playing My Song

When a waitress wouldn't take him home, Jack wrote what would become one of the Eagles most enduring hits.

Annie Haslam of RenaissanceSongwriter Interviews

The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?