Chris Thomas King facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chris Thomas King
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Chris Thomas King at the Koh Samui Music Festival, 2005
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Durwood Christopher Thomas |
| Born | October 14, 1962 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States |
| Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, actor |
| Instruments | Guitar, piano |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Labels | Black Top Records, 21st Century Blues Records, Scotti Bros. Records |
Chris Thomas King, born Durwood Christopher Thomas on October 14, 1962, is a talented American blues musician and actor. He lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is known for blending traditional blues with modern sounds like hip hop.
Contents
Early Life and Music
Chris Thomas King was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His father, Tabby Thomas, was also a blues musician. Chris started his music career using the name Chris Thomas.
Awards and Achievements
Chris Thomas King has won many important awards. He received "Album of the Year" honors from both the Grammy Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards. He has sold over 10 million records in the United States. This shows how popular his music is.
Acting Roles
Chris Thomas King is also a well-known actor. He played the role of Tommy Johnson in the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?. He also appeared in the soundtracks for Down from the Mountain and More Music from Ray.
Music Style and Business
Chris Thomas King is a pioneer in combining rap and blues music. He created one of the first blues albums that used music samples in the early 1990s. This album was called 21st Century Blues… from da Hood.
Taking Control of His Music
In the 1990s, Chris Thomas King decided to take control of his own music recordings. He started his own record company, 21st Century Blues Records. He also created a publishing company called Young Blues Rebel, LLC. Through his company, he signed other artists, like the rap/blues duo the 21C-B-Boyz.
Acting Career Highlights
Chris Thomas King has had important roles in several movies. Many of these films are about music.
Playing Real-Life Musicians
In the Oscar-winning movie Ray, Chris played the band leader and blues guitar player Lowell Fulson. He even worked with Ray Charles himself to help create the music for the film.
Famous Movie Roles
In O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Chris played a very skilled blues guitarist. This character claimed he made a deal with the devil to get his amazing guitar skills. This character was inspired by real blues musicians like Tommy Johnson and Robert Johnson. Chris also played guitar with the movie's band, the Soggy Bottom Boys. His performance of "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" was recorded live and included on the movie's Grammy Award-winning soundtrack.
Chris also starred as Blind Willie Johnson in the film The Soul of a Man. He appeared as Detective Storm in the movie Kill Switch with Steven Seagal.
Filmography
Chris Thomas King has appeared in these films and TV shows:
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), as Tommy Johnson
- The Soul of a Man (2003), as Blind Willie Johnson
- Ray (2004), as Lowell Fulson
- Kill Switch (2008) as Detective Storm Anderson
- Imagination Movers (2010) as T-Bone Crosby
- Treme (2011) HBO series
- Quarry (2016) as Blues Musician
Documentary Appearances
Chris Thomas King has also been featured in several documentaries:
- Last of the Mississippi Jukes (2003)
- Lightning in a Bottle (2004)
- The Soul of a Man (2003)
- 22nd Annual W.C. Handy Blues Awards (2001)
- Down from the Mountain (2000)
- Inside Look: Down from the Mountain (2000)
Discography
Here is a list of albums and singles by Chris Thomas King:
- Blue Beat (1984)
- The Beginning (1986)
- Cry of the Prophets (1990)
- Help Us, Somebody single (1993)
- Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye: A Tribute to Roky Erickson (1990)
- Simple (1993)
- 21st Century Blues... from da Hood (1994)
- Chris Thomas King (1997)
- Red Mud (1998)
- Whole Lotta Blues: The Songs of Led Zeppelin (1999)
- Me, My Guitar and the Blues (2000)
- O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack (2000)
- Down from the Mountain (2001)
- The Legend of Tommy Johnson, Act 1: Genesis 1900s-1990s (2001)
- It's a Cold ... World: The Beginning (2001)
- Dirty South Hip-Hop Blues (2002)
- A Young Man's Blues (2002)
- The Roots (2003)
- Along the Blues Highway (2003) with Blind Mississippi Morris
- Johnny's Blues: A Tribute to Johnny Cash (2003)
- Why My Guitar Screams & Moans (2004)
- Ray soundtrack (2004)
- Rise (2006)
- Live on Beale Street (2008)
- Antebellum Postcards (2011)
- Bona Fide (2012)
- Hotel Voodoo (2017)
- ANGOLA (2020)
See also
In Spanish: Chris Thomas King para niños
