Bio

Poor Black Hobo is a project headed by veteran songwriter, artist and multi instrumentalist Kevin Kendrick, also known as Poor Black Hobo. At the age of fourteen, Kevin left home to pursue a career in music traveling around the world backing the great blues artist on what was called the “chitlin circuit”. His first gig was with the late great soul singer Betty Wright who until her passing was like a big sister to him. Betty Worked as producer and vocal coach for many legends including Gloria Estefan, Joss Stone.

By age 16, he was playing behind Clarence Carter, Millie Jackson, and also played on shows for BB King, Joe Simon, Bobby Blue Bland, and other artist from that era. By his 18th birthday he ended up playing in a popular group called the Dazz Band that was later signed to Motown and won a grammy for their hit single “Let it Whip”. Kevin co wrote , toured and recorded with the group for several years.

From there he joined another hot band from the eighties Cameo, and he performed on and or co-wrote some of their biggest hits including “Word Up, Candy, Back and Forth, and Attack me With Your Love”. Kevin appeared on stage and in video with the group.

In the early 2000’s Kevin met up with the duo Outkast and he had the pleasure of recording on some of their biggest hits, including, “Hey Ya, Roses, Shes Alive, Church and many more”. Kevin also became a songwriting partner with Andre3000 on several songs as well as the Cartoon Network's “Class of 3000 cartoon, where he and Andre penned most of the songs on the cartoon series together.

Kevin has also played piano for or recorded with many of the industry greats including Madonna, Tyler The Creator, Aretha Franklin, Gwen Stefani, Queen Latifah and many more. Kevin acquired a love for country music as a little kid mainly because his father, Marion Kendrick, a 100% disabled WII vet worked with fruits and vegetables as a vendor for many restaurants and on the Farmers Market in their hometown.

Farmers from all over the state would come to market and lay out their fruit and vegetables to sell to the public, and the only music you heard on the market was country. In fact there would be dozens of trucks lined up and their radios would be set to the same station! Kevin, also known as Poor Black Hobo love for country music was so deep rooted in his soul, that he traveled to Nashville Tennessee to try and meet the late great publisher, song writer and owner of Tree International Publishing, Buddy Killen. Kevin read about Buddy in a magazine and was determine to meet him, in fact he traveled to his office from Georgia and went to see him without an appointment!

Upon his arrival his secretary told Kevin he did not see folks without an appointment, however Buddy stuck his head out his office door that day and asked how I heard about him, and invited me back to meet with him. After traveling there several times, Buddy signed Kevin as a writer to his company and he remains one of the dearest people in Kevins heart today! Tree was the largest publishing company in Nashville at the time and Buddy signed and published Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, and many more.

Being the only African America signed to this huge country publisher gave Kevin a chance to learn from the great artist in Nashville. It was then Kevin began thinking about writing songs that fused the different styles from his experience as a musician with country. and other genres of music.

Today Poor Black Hobo is the project that Kevin is using to release the music from the deepest part of his heart, as a tribute to his Father and Mother, and his great friend Buddy Killen, although all of them are in heaven, their spirit lives on with this Poor Black Hobo forever.

Kevin chose the name Poor Black Hobo, because there were times while away from home at such an early age, he had no food to eat, and no place to sleep except the park, or cheap hotels where things went on a young boy should not have seen, and most times he and his musician friends made very little money, but and after looking back he thanks God he made it through and feel blessed to see and feel things others will never have a chance to, as that era is gone now forever. It is Poor Black Hobo’s wish that everyone who visits enjoys the music and history shared here.