Albert King

Albert King's contributions place him alongside B.B. and Freddie King as a primary force behind the sound of blues and rock guitar; absent his input, contemporary guitar music would differ markedly, given how players from Otis Rush and Robert Cray to Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan absorbed his approach. Right from the outset King possessed a personal manner and singular timbre. Playing left-handed on an unaltered right-handed instrument created his distinctive attack, because he draws downward on strings that conventional players bend upward to shape blues phrases. The 1967 singles compilation Born Under a Bad Sign, his debut Stax release, quickly emerged as one of the era's most resonant and widely heard blues collections. King's commanding volume and singular method of stretching notes on the strings left a deep mark on later musicians, above all in rock, where numerous emulators may remain unaware of his name or recordings. His phrasing stands apart from every other blues guitarist, securing his place among the electric instrument's most consequential blues practitioners.

Although born in Indianola, Mississippi, Albert King, originally Albert Nelson, grew up in Forrest City, Arkansas, and learned guitar as a youngster by constructing a homemade instrument from a cigar box. Early work with gospel ensembles, notably the Harmony Kings, gave way to an exclusive focus on blues after exposure to Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lonnie Johnson, and additional blues artists. In 1950 he encountered MC Reeder, proprietor of Osceola, Arkansas's T-99 nightclub, and soon relocated there to join the venue's house band, the In the Groove Boys. The group performed local Arkansas dates beyond the T-99, among them broadcasts for a regional radio station.

Following regional success in Arkansas, King relocated to Gary, Indiana, in 1953 and entered a band that included Jimmy Reed and John Brim. Because both Reed and Brim handled guitar duties, King took up drums within the unit. Around this period he assumed the name Albert King, prompted by the massive popularity of B.B. King's "Three O'Clock Blues." Shortly after arriving in Gary he met Willie Dixon, whose guidance secured an audition at Parrot Records. The session took place late in 1953 and yielded five tracks; only the single "Be on Your Merry Way"/"Bad Luck Blues" saw release, while the remaining material surfaced on compilations across subsequent decades. Although the record moved adequately, it failed to generate a follow-up session. Early in 1954 King returned to Osceola and rejoined the In the Groove Boys, remaining in Arkansas for the next two years.

In 1956 he settled in St. Louis and began sitting in with area ensembles. By autumn he was headlining clubs throughout the city, continuing on the local circuit while refining his technique. During these years he adopted his signature Gibson Flying V, which he dubbed Lucy. By 1958 his popularity in St. Louis had grown sufficiently to secure a contract with the fledgling Bobbin Records in summer 1959. Initial Bobbin sessions featured piano and a compact horn section, lending a jump-blues flavor distinct from Delta or Chicago styles, yet King's guitar remained central and already displayed a forceful, individual voice. Bobbin releases sold well locally, prompting King Records to lease the single "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong." Issued nationally late in 1961, it reached number 14 on the R&B charts. Additional Bobbin material was leased to King Records, including the 1963 album Big Blues, though none matched the single's impact; Bobbin also supplied tracks to Chess that appeared in the late '60s.

King departed Bobbin late in 1962 and recorded one pop-leaning session for King Records in spring 1963, whose singles met with little commercial response. Within a year he cut four sides for the St. Louis independent Coun-Tree, operated by jazz singer Leo Gooden. Though distribution remained limited to St. Louis, Chicago, and Kansas City, these recordings anticipated his later Stax work and proved popular enough in St. Louis to provoke Gooden's resentment, resulting in King's removal from the roster.

After leaving Coun-Tree, Albert King signed with Stax Records in 1966. His Stax output brought widespread recognition across blues and rock audiences alike. All 1960s Stax material was cut with Booker T. & the MG's, imparting a sleek, soul-infused sheen that broadened his appeal. This foundation produced R&B chart entries such as "Laundromat Blues" (1966) and "Cross Cut Saw" (1967), both Top 40, and "Born Under a Bad Sign" (1967), which reached the Top 50. Rock players including Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton drew directly from his phrasing; Clapton adapted Albert's "Personal Manager" solo for Cream's "Strange Brew." The 1967 Stax album Born Under a Bad Sign, assembled from singles, became one of the decade's most enduring blues releases. Beginning in 1968 King performed for both blues and young rock listeners, appearing regularly at San Francisco's Fillmore West and documenting one such engagement on the summer 1968 album Live Wire/Blues Power.

Early in 1969 he recorded the studio album Years Gone By. Later that year he completed a tribute to Elvis Presley titled Blues for Elvis: Albert King Does the King's Things, a collaborative session with Steve Cropper and Pops Staples issued as Jammed Together, and a concert with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Over the ensuing years he toured extensively in America and Europe before returning to the studio in 1971 for Lovejoy. In 1972 he released I'll Play the Blues for You, supported by the Bar-Kays, the Memphis Horns, and the Movement; the set remained rooted in blues while incorporating contemporary soul and funk elements.

Mid-1970s financial difficulties at Stax led King to Utopia, an RCA subsidiary, where he issued two albums that reflected certain commercial-soul production choices. Although he scored modest hits there, the period proved transitional, confirming his preference for a direct blues approach over further soul crossovers. That shift became audible on his initial Tomato Records releases after signing with the label in 1978. He remained with Tomato for several years before moving to Fantasy in 1983 for two additional albums.

In the mid-1980s Albert King declared retirement, yet resumed regular concerts and festival appearances across America and Europe for the remainder of the decade. He continued performing until suffering a fatal heart attack on December 21, 1992.