Ryan Adams Covered C.O.C.’s “Clean My Wounds”, Pepper Keenan Calls It “Quite Moving”
Losing a parent is a hard, hard reality that we all have to face at some point. Unfortunately, Corrosion of Conformity frontman Pepper Keenan experienced such loss last month with the passing of his father, Jerry Pepper Keenan. A couple weeks ago, singer-songwriter and fellow North Carolinian Ryan Adams decided to pay tribute to the late Keenan by playing an unique acoustic version of a song written by the younger Keenan.
During his June 21 show at Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh, North Carolina — Corrosion of Conformity’s home town — Adams performed the cover, which you can hear below. As a self-professed metal head and fan of C.O.C., the seven-time Grammy-nominated musician told Blabbermouth that he decided to cover the song because of his love of the band.
“Some folks have sports teams they follow for life, through thick or thin. For me that’s C.O.C. In memory of Pepper’s father passing, I covered ‘Clean My Wounds’ in NOLA and the Carolinas. They mean more to me than I could ever say. Most C.O.C. fans feel that same way. C.O.C. are always and will aways be my team and I’ll fly the flag forever.”
After learning of the cover, Keenan said he was equally a fan of Adams’ for a long time, stating that the two have become friends over the years. To hear such a moving tribute to his late father was, in his words, “beautiful and haunting.”
“I’ve been a friend and fan of Ryan’s music and skills for a very long time. C.O.C. and Ryan sharpened our teeth in the same neck of the woods in the Old North State as youngsters. I consider Ryan to be one of the best singer /songwriters out there. Knew it back then, still do. To hear him do his thing to one of our songs in such a beautiful and haunting way, as well as dedicating it to my father, was quite moving to say the least. Honestly stopped me dead in my tracks. Very special on many levels and emotions. Thank you for that brother. Love and respect always.”
Corrosion of Conformity are currently working on their follow-up to 2018’s No Cross No Crown. With Stanton Moore back behind the kit, that should be a wild one.
