Biography of Albert King

Albert King first played the guitar in his early teens -- at times in a gospel quartet. Albert was in and out of music until the early 50s when, after playing drums for Jimmy Reed, he again took up the guitar and decided to go it on his own. His first single, "Bad Luck Blues"/"Be on Your Merry Way," was recorded for the Parrot label in the early '50s. In the years to follow -- and into the '60s -- King sang and played his way onto the blues charts with songs such as "Laundromat Blues" and "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong." Then, during the so-called "blues revival" (the discovery of blues music by a White audience in the 60s), King's recordings of "Born under a Bad Sign" and "Personal Manager" caught the fancy of British blues guitarist Eric Clapton. In fact, Eric Clapton copied King's "Personal Manager" guitar solo note-for-note on the Cream's song "Strange Brew" (Disraeli Gears album) -- thereby introducing King's style to a new audience. From that point on, King was more famous than ever and began getting more lucrative bookings, including many of the rock clubs of the day, such as the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. Albert King is truly a "King of the Blues," although he doesn't hold that title (B. B. does). Along with B. B. and Freddie King, Albert King is one of the major influences on blues and rock guitar players. Without him, modern guitar music would not sound as it does, and his style has influenced both Black and White blues players from Otis Rush and Robert Cray to Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan (Stevie Ray was especially influenced by King). It's important to note that while almost all modern blues guitarists seldom play for long without falling into a B.B. King guitar cliché, Albert King never does -- he's had his own style and unique tone from the beginning. Albert King plays guitar left-handed, without re-stringing the guitar from the right-handed setup; this "upside-down" playing accounts for his difference in tone, since he pulls down on the same strings that most players push up on when bending the blues notes. King's massive tone and totally unique way of squeezing bends out of a guitar string has had a major impact. Many young White guitarists -- especially rock & rollers -- have been influenced by King's playing without even knowing it. Many players who emulate his style may never have heard of Albert King, let alone heard his music. His style is immediately distinguishable from all other blues guitarists, and he's one of the most important blues guitarists to ever pick up the electric guitar. Albert King is a tough act to follow. ~ Daniel Erlewine