He started off his musical career as a 15 year old Jimmy Page wanna be, using a tennis racket as his weapon of choice as he stood in front of his mirror for hours on end belting the air-guitar the hell out of the Led Zeppelin repertoire. After his father offered to help him pay for his first guitar by paying him for mucking out the stalls of the farm he lived on, and a few hundred hours of listening to Zeppelin, John Skyes, Blue Murder, Stevie Wonder and Marvin gay, he would evolve into an incredibly talented and technically sound guitarist and an outstanding vocalist with an astounding 4 octave range.

Currently on a break from Alter Bridge and working on his debut solo record, Myles Kennedy took the time with The Backdoor to tell us his story.

The main thing on people’s minds these days when it comes to Alter Bridge and Myles Kennedy is how things stand as far as the future of Alter Bridge is concerned, with Creed reuniting for their American tour; any message to your fans on this note?

Myles – It’s hard to say at this point.  Who knows what the future holds.  It’s a crazy time.

A lot of people also say that Alter Bridge is a great band which is woefully underrated, including those of us here at The Backdoor. What are your thoughts on that?

Myles – I prefer being underrated to overrated.  Being the underdog isn’t such a bad thing in the end.

Talking about your new album, how long will we have to look forward for it, and what can we expect from the new record? Any surprises that you would care to divulge?

Myles - It’s too soon to tell what will happen with the next record.  No surprises yet.

Are there any artists that you plan or hope to collaborate with on the new record?

Myles – There are so many great artists out there, but I don’t think we have any plans to collaborate at this point.

Talking about your singing, have you ever had any classical singing lessons?

Myles – Yeah, I studied with this guy in LA. He taught me the Bel Canto Vocal technique.  I took about 14 lessons with him.  It was the best thing I ever did for my voice.  I am very grateful to have learned from a master.

Could you give us some insights as to what your vocal health and exercise routine is like?

Myles – Before a show I warm up for about 45 minutes.  It’s a series of scales and arpeggios that help to open up my throat.

You have also stated that you suffer from Tinnitus. How are you dealing with that?

Myles – It really sucks.  There is no way to deal with it other than to try and drown it out.  I sleep with a fan on to try and kill the buzzing in my ears at night.

You recently confirmed that you did indeed have some jam sessions with John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Jason Bonham of Led Zeppelin. What was that like?

Myles – It was the greatest thing I will ever experience in my life.  Nuff said.

You also declined Slash’s offer to join him in Velvet Revolver. What were your reasons to decide against joining VR?

Myles – They never offered me the gig.  Back in 2002 I had the chance to audition but I didn’t feel the timing was right for me.

What were the deciding factors when you decided to accept Mark Tremonti’s invite to be a part of Alter Bridge?

Myles – The songs.  It’s that simple.

What is the song writing process of Alter Bridge like, especially with two highly accomplished guitarists like you and Mark?

Myles – It is a long process.  We generally meet up with a bunch of ideas and filter through them.  It’s a lot of work.

Talking about song writing, what is the story behind the writing of the song Black Bird?

Myles – It was written for a friend of mine who passed away.  Very sad time for sure.

What inspired you to write the track ‘Summer Girl’ which is one of our favorites off the Mayfield Four’s album ‘Second Skin’?

Myles – It was inspired by a dream.  It came together very quickly.

From Citizen Swing to The Mayfield Four to Alter Bridge, how have you changed as a musician over that time?

Myles – I think I have evolved as a songwriter.  I cringe when I hear some of my early attempts.

What are the bands and music that you’re listening to these days?

Myles – The new Mastodon is incredible. I also really dig Bon Iver and the last Raconteurs record.

To you what is Rock and Roll about?

Myles – It depends on so many things.  Energy and emotion is what comes to my mind first and foremost.

What’s the story behind you and your obsession with curry?

Myles – I love it.  It makes me very happy!!!!

Your words of wisdom to an aspiring Rock Vocalist?

Myles – The best advice I can give is don’t worry about trying to sound like anyone but yourself.  Range and fancy runs don’t mean anything.  It’s all about finding your own voice.

Any final message to your fans the world over?

Myles – I can’t thank all of you enough for the continued support of Alter Bridge and all of our collective efforts.  We are nothing without all of you.

For a few more of the things that Myles didn’t reveal about himself in the interview; what can we say, he’s a humble and shy guy; read through the 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Myles Kennedy.

Photo credit – iparrado