Freddie King facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Freddie King
Freddie King performing in Paris, France, in 1975
Born	Fred King (1934-09-03)September 3, 1934 Gilmer, Texas, U.S.
Died	December 28, 1976(1976-12-28) (aged 42) Dallas, Texas
Resting place	Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery, Dallas, Texas
Other names	Freddy King
Spouse(s)	Jessie Burnett ​ (m. 1952)​
Children	7
Musical career
Genres	Blues
Occupation(s)	Musician singer-songwriter
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Years active	1952–1976
Labels	El-Bee King Federal Atlantic Shelter RSO

Freddie King (born September 3, 1934 – died December 28, 1976) was an American blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was known as one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar." The other two were Albert King and B.B. King. They were not related by blood.

Freddie was famous for his strong voice and special guitar style. He greatly influenced electric blues music. Many future blues guitarists looked up to him. He was born in Gilmer, Texas. Freddie started playing guitar when he was six years old. His mother and uncle taught him.

As a teenager, Freddie moved to Chicago. There, he formed his first band. It was called the Every Hour Blues Boys. He tried to join Chess Records but was turned down many times. Then, he signed with Federal Records. His songs "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" and "Hide Away" became hits. "Hide Away" was a big instrumental song in 1961. It became a very famous blues tune.

Freddie's guitar style mixed Texas blues and Chicago blues. His album Freddy King Sings showed off his singing. It included hits like "You've Got to Love Her with a Feeling" and "I'm Tore Down." Later, he worked with producers who liked rhythm and blues and rock music. He was one of the first blues musicians to have a band with people of different races.

Freddie King was honored in many ways. He was put into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1982. In 2012, ZZ Top inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His song "Hide Away" is on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of "500 Songs that Shaped Rock." Rolling Stone magazine ranked him as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.

Freddie King's Life Story

Early Life (1934–1952)

Fred King was born on September 3, 1934. His parents were Ella Mae King and J. T. Christian. When Freddie was six, his mother and uncle taught him to play the guitar. In 1949, his family moved from Dallas to the South Side of Chicago.

In 1952, Freddie started working in a steel mill. That same year, he married Jessie Burnett, who was also from Texas. They had seven children together.

Starting His Music Career in Chicago (1952–1959)

After moving to Chicago, Freddie often snuck into nightclubs. There, he listened to famous blues artists. Some of them were Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Little Walter. Freddie formed his first band, the Every Hour Blues Boys. Jimmie Lee Robinson played guitar, and Frank "Sonny" Scott played drums.

While working at the steel mill, Freddie also played music with other bands. He played with the Little Sonny Cooper Band. He also played with Earl Payton's Blues Cats. In 1953, he recorded with Earl Payton's band. However, these recordings were never released.

As the 1950s went on, Freddie played with many Chicago blues musicians. These included guitarists Jimmy Rogers and Robert Lockwood Jr.. He also played with bassist Willie Dixon and pianist Memphis Slim.

In 1956, Freddie released his first record as a band leader. It was for El-Bee Records. One side was "Country Boy," a song with Margaret Whitfield. The other side had Freddie singing. Robert Lockwood, Jr. played guitar on both songs.

Freddie tried out for Chess Records many times. This was a top blues label in Chicago. But they kept saying no. They thought he sounded too much like B.B. King. A new blues scene was growing on the West Side. It had many nightclubs and new record companies.

Willie Dixon asked Freddie to record for Cobra Records. But those recordings have never been heard. Freddie became a very important musician on the West Side. He played with Magic Sam. Some say he played guitar on Magic Sam's songs without being credited.

Success with Federal Records (1959–1966)

In 1959, Freddie met Sonny Thompson. He was a pianist and producer for King Records. The owner of King Records, Syd Nathan, signed Freddie to their label, Federal Records, in 1960.

Freddie recorded his first single for Federal on August 26, 1960. It was "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" with "You've Got to Love Her with a Feeling" on the other side. From the same session, Freddie recorded the instrumental song "Hide Away."

The next year, "Hide Away" became a huge hit. It reached number five on the R&B chart. It also reached number 29 on the Pop chart. This was amazing for a blues instrumental song. "Hide Away" became a classic blues song.

After "Hide Away" was a success, Freddie and Sonny Thompson recorded many instrumental songs. These included "The Stumble" and "San-Ho-Zay." They also recorded songs with vocals. But often, they released the songs as instrumentals on albums.

During his time with Federal Records, Freddie toured with many famous R&B artists. He played with Sam Cooke and James Brown.

Later Career and Recordings (1966–1974)

Freddie's contract with Federal ended in 1966. He moved back to Dallas from Chicago. In 1967, he went on his first tour outside the U.S. King Curtis, a producer, noticed Freddie. King Curtis had already covered "Hide Away" in 1962.

King Curtis signed Freddie to Atlantic in 1968. This led to two albums: Freddie King Is a Blues Master (1969) and My Feeling for the Blues (1970). These were produced by Curtis for Cotillion Records.

In 1969, Freddie hired Jack Calmes as his manager. Jack helped him play at the 1969 Texas Pop Festival. Freddie played alongside famous bands like Led Zeppelin. This led to Freddie signing with Shelter Records. This was a new label started by Leon Russell.

Shelter Records treated Freddie like an important artist. They flew him to Chicago to record his album Getting Ready. They used top musicians for the recordings. During this time, Freddie made three albums. They included classic blues songs and new ones, like "Going Down."

Freddie performed with big rock stars like Eric Clapton. He also played with Grand Funk Railroad. Their song "We're an American Band" even mentions Freddie King. He played for a young, mostly white audience for three years. Then, he signed with RSO Records.

In 1974, he recorded Burglar. Tom Dowd produced the song "Sugar Sweet." Eric Clapton played guitar on this track. Mike Vernon produced the other songs. Vernon also produced Freddie's second album for RSO, Larger than Life.

Freddie King's Death

Freddie King toured almost 300 days a year. This constant touring was very hard on him. In 1976, he started having stomach problems. His health quickly got worse. He passed away on December 28, 1976, at age 42.

His death was caused by his illness and other health issues. People who knew him said that his busy touring schedule and unhealthy eating habits contributed to his early death.

Freddie King's Music Style

Freddie King had a very natural way of playing guitar. He often made his guitar sound like a voice. He did this by using sounds from Texas blues. He also used the raw, powerful sounds of West Side, Chicago blues.

Freddie's mix of Texas and Chicago sounds made his music feel fresh. It sounded more modern than many other Chicago bands. He became friends with younger blues musicians. Early in his career, he played a Gibson Les Paul guitar. Later, he played different Gibson electric guitars. He used a plastic thumb pick and a metal finger pick.

Freddie King's Legacy

On September 3, 1993, the governor of Texas declared it Freddie King Day. This honor is given to Texas legends like Buddy Holly. Freddie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him among the 100 greatest guitarists ever.

Many of Freddie's instrumental songs from the early 1960s became popular with surf music bands. His instrumental hits like "Hide Away" and "San-Ho-Zay" were like surf guitar. They were instrumental songs you could dance to.

Jerry Garcia, a famous guitarist, was influenced by Freddie King. He said that a Freddie King album gave him many ideas for playing electric guitar. Freddie's 1961 instrumental album was even re-released as Freddy King Goes Surfin' in 1963.

Music experts say Freddie King influenced many guitarists. These include Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Lonnie Mack. Eric Clapton said that Freddie's 1961 song "I Love the Woman" was the first time he heard that electric lead-guitar style. He said it started him on his path to playing guitar.

Clapton shared his love for Freddie King with other British guitar heroes. These included Peter Green and Jeff Beck. They were all greatly influenced by Freddie's sharp guitar sound and catchy melodies.

Freddie King was one of the first African-American blues musicians to embrace the British blues scene. He toured their clubs in the late 1960s. This helped him become known as a pioneer of electric blues guitar. Even though he is famous for his guitar, Freddie also had a powerful singing voice. His lasting influence makes him one of the great blues masters.

Discography

Studio Albums

Selected Compilation Albums

Charting Singles

Images for kids

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  King in Amsterdam, 1973

See also

In Spanish: Freddie King para niños