In his time, the incomparable musician Keb' Mo’ has proven himself one of the modern masters of blues music, as well as an important voice in contemporary Americana. Along the way, he’s made sure to pay tribute to the many icons who have come before him, and whose originally groundbreaking talents inspired his own playing and writing.

1. Portraying Robert Johnson

Topping the list for Keb' Mo’ personally would be Robert Johnson, the blues musician whose style can be heard reverberated in the performances of everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Robert Plant, to of course Keb' himself. Mo’ gave tribute to Johnson not only in sound, but on the screen too. In 1998, he portrayed the blues legend in the documentary film called Can’t You Hear The Wind Howl? And did a pretty spot on job doing it. Take a look at his performance, as Johnson, of Johnson’s “Preachin’ Blues.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yHnS3IVPME

2. Honoring B.B King

Countless musicians, not least of all Keb' Mo’ himself, also trace their inspiration back to the other blues King, B.B King. Keb' Mo’ participated in an incredibly special tribute to King at the 2015 Americana Music Honors and Award Show, at the Ryman Theater in Nashville Tennessee. For it he played a more than impressive rendition of the late artist’s “How Blue Can You Get.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B6y6QfIRKY

3. Jamming Muddy Waters With Warren Haynes And Greg Allman

A third blues giant Keb' Mo’ would readily call one of his biggest influences is Muddy Waters, whom he’s covered countless times throughout his career. One of the most recent, and coolest for sure, was at Warren Haynes's Christmas Jam 2013, where Mo’ played Muddy Waters’s “I Can’t Be Satisfied” alongside Haynes himself, and Greg Allman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjQKf5UuzkU

4. Greg Allman Tribute Concert

Then the following year, Keb' Mo’ had the opportunity to tribute the two legends he had recently jammed with: Greg Allman and Warren Haynes. Mo’ was invited to All My Friends, the extraordinary tribute concert to Greg Allman that took place on January 10, 2014 at the Fox Theatre. His performances included a powerful cover of “Just Another Rider,” a song co-written by Allman and Haynes, and then later that night, a collaboration with the entire ensemble on stage for the show’s truly grand finale of “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.”

Just Another Rider Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh1DAdEsEBg Circle Be Unbroken Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=204n7AZVUMQ

5. Covering Aretha Franklin with Bonnie Raitt

It’s not only men whose influence Keb' Mo’ has celebrated in his music — the guitarist would cite number of women in his long list of musical role models, and two who ride the top of that list are Aretha Franklin and Bonnie Raitt. In 2013 Mo’ got to jam with the latter in a cover of the former’s classic song, “Baby I love You.”

Keb' and Bonnie trade fine vocals on August 22, 2013 at the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa, CA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bd09Y0RBfI

6. Joining A John Lennon Tribute

While it has taken inspiration for the blues from many guitarists, the music of Keb' Mo’ has always been connected to a sense of humility and love for others that he traces back to, among other sources, the one and only John Lennon. At the 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute, at The Beacon Theatre in New York City, Keb' Mo’ started the ceremonies with a wonderful version of “In My Life.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwWeNWxIfH8

7. Peace Tribute To Multiple Artists

A Lennon cover was also on the bill for an entire solo tribute album by Keb' Mo’, called Peace…Back By Popular Demand. On this thoughtful and incredibly pretty record, Mo’ put together his renditions of classic protest songs, from Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Happening Brother,” to Elvis Costello’s “What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding,” all under a personally driven theme of world peace. Definitely check out this whole album sometime if you haven’t, but for now check out this live version of one of its covers, Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ik6CBt2IwA

8. Bill Withers

Keb' Mo’ has paid tribute to some of the most dominating voices of modern music, too, one of whom is Bill Withers. On October 12, 2015, Withers himself joined an awesome tribute concert to his legacy at Carnegie Hall, featuring an all-star lineup. At the end of the night, Keb' Mo’ actually lead Withers and this all-star cast in a soul-stirring version of the tune, “We Wish You Well.” Watch this incredible lead tribute below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40gre6HwXE0

9. Sam Cooke Tribute with Robert Cray

Keb' Mo’ and contemporary blues jammer Robert Cray once got together for a killer tour that paid special tribute to another huge voice in music history, Sam Cooke. From August 30, 2007, witness their version of mutual inspiration Cooke’s “Bring It On Home.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TM1AiuksfLU

10. The Experience Hendrix Tour

Keb' Mo’ has also been a recurring addition to the Experience Hendrix Tour: a rocking annual tstring of shows dedicated to the music of Jimi Hendrix, the most recent of which just finished in March, and brought along other modern day, Hendrix influenced guitar greats, including Dweezil Zappa, Buddy King, Erich Johnson, and others. Check out Mo’s blistering cover of Catfish Blues from March 9 in Nashville, TN on the 2012 Hendrix tour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtmnLizXA0E

11. Producing a Hank Williams Jr. Tribute Album

It’s not only the blues that Mo’ has finely carried the touch for in his genre-blending style of music—but folk as well, and he’s authored a number of beautiful tributes to various folk heroes as well, including the late great Hank Williams Jr. In 2001, Mo’ produced the album Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute as well as contributed his cover of the singer’s “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” The album went on to win the 2002 Best Country Album Grammy. This year, he performed the tune for a Hank Williams tribute at none other than the White House. Take a listen below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWO588XcaKo

12. Johnny Cash

Hank Williams Jr. also appears on the same album as Keb' Mo’, in a tribute this time to the Man in Black: Johnny Cash. For a album called Kindred Spirits: A Tribute To The Songs Of Johnny Cash, which also features performances from the likes of Bob Dylan, Little Richard, Dwight Yokam and others, Mo’ gave a unique, extra-bluesy take on Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSFlaKRGEYs

13. Tributing His Friend Jackson Browne

In a tribute to not only another folk icon but also a good friend and collaborator, Keb' Mo’ was invited to join on Looking Into You: A Tribute To Jackson Browne, which also had contributions by Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby, Ben Harper, and many others. For his part, Mo’ offered his version of Browne’s “Rock Me On The Water."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EElNnvvJfDA

14. Paying a Purple Tribute

Not surprisingly, Keb' Mo’ joins the virtually endless list of artists moved by the late Prince. On the day of the singer’s passing, Mo’ was one of the first in the huge outpouring of awesome recent Prince tributes when he and his band played their own version of “Purple Rain.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhYAV5U7HjE