Black Stone Cherry

Black Stone Cherry are a hard rock and southern rock group from Edmonton, Kentucky, formed in 2001 and active since then. The band is made up of Chris Robertson, Ben Wells, John Lawhon and John Fred Young, with Young being the son of The Kentucky Headhunters’ rhythm guitarist Richard Young. Their listed styles include hard rock, rock and southern rock, and their music is also associated with stoner rock and grunge.

History

Chris Robertson and John Fred Young start playing music together in their early teens, and Ben Wells and Jon Lawhon later join them. The group officially forms on 4 June 2001. They take over the practice house used by The Kentucky Headhunters since 1968 and begin recording there. After finishing those sessions, they return to Edmonton for a homecoming show in the local middle school gym, which draws 1,500 people. After the release of their self-titled debut album, Robertson’s former school principal invites them back to Edmonton for another concert, and the town welcomes them with signs as they arrive.

Releases and chart success

Black Stone Cherry sign to Roadrunner Records and later to Mascot Label Group, releasing material through Mascot Records. They release six studio albums and four EPs, and they place fifteen singles on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Their second EP appears in July 2007 and includes “Rain Wizard” alongside two unreleased tracks. Their first live album follows the concert at the Astoria in London on 31 October 2007.

Their second album, Folklore and Superstition, appears in August 2008 and includes the singles “Blind Man”, “Please Come In” and “Things My Father Said”. In May 2009, they support Nickelback on the Dark Horse tour. Their third studio album, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, follows in 2011. Magic Mountain is released in 2014 and reaches number five in the UK albums chart, with “Me and Mary Jane” as its first single. Kentucky follows in 2016 and becomes their second consecutive number one on the Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart. Family Tree is released in 2018, with “Burnin’” as its first single.

Songwriting and themes

The band’s writing often uses narrative and local detail. “Lonely Train” concerns the effect on families when someone goes to war. “Rain Wizard” refers to a local legend about mysterious wise men who bring rain during drought. “Backwoods Gold” tells of a local man who runs moonshine from the hardware store in Edmonton.

Style and influences

Their sound is frequently linked with Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Black Crowes, with some influence from Led Zeppelin. Their music is also compared with Brand New Sin and Zakk Wylde’s Pride and Glory.