Black Opry Resident Spotlight: The Kentucky Gentlemen

In both music and life, Brandon (he/him) and Derek Campbell (he/him) have been nearly inseparable since birth. The 27-year-old twins from Versailles, KY, got their first public singing experience in a church choir, but when they weren’t learning gospel songs, they were foregoing their classical piano practice time to perform to keyboard beats with their older brother.

The Kentucky Gentlemen, one of March’s Artist To Watch, know sharing their more serious personal experiences is just as important as showcasing their fun side. Says Derek, “We hope people see these two guys who just keep showing up as themselves. We understand the importance of where we’re going and what that means to people like us. We want to be the same folks that we wish we had always gotten to see on the main stage.”

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An extension of the WXPN Artist To Watch program, Black Opry Residency is a six-week artist development program that aims to help Black Americana artists build sustainable careers and broaden their audiences. Black Opry Residency has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

Get to know The Kentucky Gentlemen:

Who is your dream artist to work with and why?

Fellow Kentuckian, Chris Stapleton. His voice is from another universe. His artistry is something we can relate to. He shows up only as his raw self in every song.

Where do you draw inspiration for your lyrics?

Our lyrical inspiration draws from our own romantic perspectives. We have always had a habit of romanticizing everything. So, naturally there’s a feel good tone under a lot of songs we write. Our sound draws inspiration from 90’s Country and R&B. It’s a sound that feels familiar but also feels entirely fresh as well.

What was the best live music experience you’ve ever had? 

Beyoncé has hands down given us the best live music experience we’ve ever had. The amount of energy she transpires in a single note or even a single step is admirable and something we’ll always respect. The passion!

What has your experiences been thus far in the Americana music scene?

It took awhile to find our home in the music scene but as time has gone on we’ve been finding what we consider to be our tribe. These peers have embraced us as we’ve helped each other grow and we’re thankful for that.

Describe one stand out memory in your career thus far.

Playing Newport Folk Festival the summer of 2022. With thousands in attendance it has been our largest crowd to date. There is truly no better feeling than performing, especially for that amount of people. We went out in the crowd to hang with fans and it was so special hearing how our music moved them.

Listen to the Kentucky Gentlemen below!