Kevin, a NJ native and named “Kevin Kenneth Humphris” at birth, began his musical journey at the age of 11 when he successfully pestered his parents into buying him a bass guitar and small amplifier that he saw in the Sears Catalog. Technically, he started earlier as a trombonist in 3rd grade and as a singer in a 4th grade talent show performing “Bennie and the Jets”, but the bass really launched what was to be the real journey.
By age 12, he and lifelong friend and musician extraordinaire, Chris Amelar, were practicing and performing regularly with all the area musicians, playing parties and school functions.
By age 14, they had hooked up with older musicians and began performing professionally at venues as prestigious as The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ and NYC’s Bitter End, among many other parties, bars and Roller Rinks.
After high school, while attending William Paterson Universities’ music program, Kevin was asked to join a developing original rock act that wanted a bass player/lead singer. A bit reluctant at first, Kevin took on the role of lead singer for the first time after some arm twisting. The overwhelming response to his voice set him on a new course that continues today. While writing and preforming This original music, the band was discovered by MTV’s Adam Curry at the height of his fame. Adam used his significant reach to help produce demos and shoot the band for a major label record deal. One evening while performing a double bill with FOGHAT in NYC, Kevin was approached by FOREIGNER’s Mick Jones. Mick praised his voice and asked Kevin if he would consider writing with him. Not wanting to meddle with his bands’ chemistry when it seemed they were on the verge of a major deal, Kevin asked for a raincheck. In hindsight… perhaps the wrong answer! Ha!
After choosing to leave that band and return to school to finish his degree, Kevin was contacted repeatedly by top NYC promoters to go audition for another original band looking for a bass player/ lead singer. This was a band being formed by some hotshot NYC session players fresh off some major tours. Even though Kevin gave a very half-hearted effort to secure this gig because he really wanted to stay focused on school, he agreed to audition and was offered the gig immediately. This band went on to get a record deal and tour with Rob Zombie.
Wanting to move out of NYC, Kevin moved back to NJ and agreed to sing for a friends cover band on the thriving NJ club circuit. Putting down the bass and only singing lead, this band performed The Music Of BOSTON, JOURNEY, TOTO, AERO-SMITH, VAN HALEN, STING, STARSHIP, LED ZEPPELIN, DOOBIE BROTHERS, 38 SPECIAL and many more.
Picking the bass back up, Kevin joined a few other NJ cover bands and played often 6 nights a week up and down the northeast coast for about 8 years.
By 1998, Kevin got married and settled down to have a family. He hung up music indefinitely. After About 6 years, Kevin was asked to fill-in as a bassist for some gigs. Again, the arm twisting worked and Kevin reluctantly agreed. Once back in the game, the thrill of making music again took Over and within a few months, Kevin was playing with 15 different bands.
After a few years playing with a variety of different bands, Kevin was approached to join UNCHAINED. This was a popular Van Halen tribute and Kevin would be a perfect fit in the role of Michael Anthony is a bassist and primary background vocalist. A HUGE fan of VH, Kevin agreed immediately and soon the band was off to the Dominican Republic to do some Hard Rock Cafe shows, plus several SOLD OUT shows at NYC’s BB KINGS, among other SOLD-OUT performances in northeast.
When the lead singer and founding member of UNCHAINED took an opportunity with another national act band on the west coast, he asked Kevin to keep UNCHAINED active on the east coast and honor the gigs currently on the calendar. Kevin did just that and as the new lineup gained in popularity fast it was agreed that we would slightly alter the name to COMPLETELY UNCHAINED.
Soon, CU was being talked about on NYC radio, performing after-parties for Broadway’s ROCK OF AGES and selling out everywhere.
Meanwhile, Kevin was also asked to perform with the original country artist, Rachel Allyn, as bassist and primary backup vocalist. Soon after, this band became the house-band for COUNTRY THUNDER 106 and opened for THOMPSON SQUARE.
After a few years with the CU lineup, the original UNCHAINED lead singer came back to the east coast and reformed UNCHAINED with a new lineup, which included million-selling guitarist of TRIXTER, Steve Brown. (TRIXTER, Def Leppard, Ace Frehley, Dennis DeYoung) Steve was also good friends with EDWARD VAN HALEN. Kevin was asked to re-join and although it was difficult to leave CU, Kevin agreed to return. This band toured shadowing the VH reunion tour with David Lee Roth, playing pre and post VH show casino venues near the VH show. VH fans ate it up.
After performing at BONNAROO in 2012 with UNCHAINED, playing on the same stage following ALICE COOPER to a festival with over 100,000 tickets sold, Kevin was asked to perform with former BOSTON guitarist and drummer, Barry Goudreau and Sib Hashian at a benefit concert at the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield, MA. This would be the first time that Barry and Sib would be performing BOSTON music since they both left the multi-million selling band. It was supposed to be one show only, but it went so well that Barry asked Kevin to stay on board and take it out on tour. They began ramping up to tour when some legal obstacles reared their head after performing the LEGENDS OF ROCK CRUISE and that tour came to a sudden halt.
Soon after, Kevin was asked to cover somewhere between 10-15 shows with VOYAGE, a hugely successful JOURNEY Tribute band. Soon after that run, Kevin was asked to re-join COMPLETELY UNCHAINED, who was now touring semi-nationally. After a little over 3 years of touring full-time With that band again, the mother of Kevin’s children lost her long battle with brain cancer and he chose to leave the road to be with his kids as they absorbed this tragic loss. Almost immediately following his departure from the road, COVID hit the US and the live music industry came to a screeching halt.
As COVID began to lift and live music returned, Kevin was asked to join 70’s ROCK PARADE as bassist and vocalist. This is a hugely popular Long Island band and Kevin continues with them today. While playing with them, Kevin was asked to be the bassist and primary backup vocalist for The David Bickler Band. David is the original lead singer of the million selling band, SURVIVOR, and he is the voice the global smash hit, “Eye of the Tiger”.
Most recently and almost simultaneously, Kevin was asked to join STEVE BROWN’s new all-star BON JOVI TRIBUTE called ALWAYS JOVI, while also asked to put together a Country act for ULTRA ARTISTS, a national booking agency.
COUNTRY LIVE was born! Country LIVE features 4 lead singers doing a tribute to iconic country artists, Kenny Chesney (performed by Kevin “Kenny” Humphris, Keith Urban (performed by Steve Brown, Shania Twain (performed by Devon Marie) and Luke Bryan (performed by Will Lockhart).
Kevin and the band soon realized how much they enjoyed the musical catalog of Kenny Chesney, as well as the positive energy of his community minded NO SHOES NATION and KEVIN KENNY – THE CHESNEY SHOW sprang to life. This band includes seasoned touring musicians, including fiddle/ banjo/mandolin/guitar/vocalist Gary Oleyar, who was in Kenny Chesney’s band and toured and recorded with Brad Paisley and Kenny Loggins.
