Freddie King

In the early 1960s, guitarist Freddie King rose to prominence through a series of memorable instrumentals that rapidly became essential material for both blues performers and rock groups. He favored a rural technique involving thumb and finger picks rather than the single-string approach associated with B.B. King, allowing him to succeed across numerous record labels. He also ranked among the earliest blues artists to feature a racially integrated ensemble during live shows. Shaped by the playing of Eddie Taylor, Jimmy Rogers, and Robert Jr. Lockwood, he later shaped the work of Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lonnie Mack, and countless others.

Freddie King, who performed under the spelling “Freddy” at the outset of his career, was born and raised in Gilmer, TX, where his mother and uncle introduced him to the guitar during childhood. At first he concentrated on rural acoustic blues reminiscent of Lightnin’ Hopkins. By his teenage years he had embraced the raw, amplified Chicago blues sound. When his family relocated to Chicago in 1950, the sixteen-year-old began visiting neighborhood clubs to hear Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Little Walter, and Eddie Taylor. Before long he assembled his own group, the Every Hour Blues Boys, and began performing regularly.

During the mid-1950s King contributed to sessions for Parrott and Chess Records while performing with Earlee Payton’s Blues Cats and the Little Sonny Cooper Band. He did not release a record under his own name until 1957, when he cut “Country Boy” for the independent El-Bee label; the single attracted little notice.

Three years later he joined Federal Records, a King Records subsidiary, and recorded “You’ve Got to Love Her With a Feeling” in August 1960. Issued the following month, the track reached the lower rungs of the pop charts in early 1961. It was succeeded by “Hide Away,” which became his signature piece and most enduring recording. King and Magic Sam adapted the instrumental from a Hound Dog Taylor composition and titled it after a well-known Chicago club. Released in fall 1961 as the B-side of “I Love the Woman,” the single climbed to number five on the R&B chart and number 29 on the pop chart. Throughout the decade, “Hide Away” remained a required number for blues and rock bands in both the United States and England.

His debut album, Freddy King Sings, appeared in 1961 and was followed later that year by Let’s Hide Away and Dance Away With Freddy King: Strictly Instrumental. During the same period he produced further instrumentals such as “San-Ho-Zay,” “The Stumble,” and “I’m Tore Down,” all of which quickly entered the blues repertoire and were later recorded by Magic Sam, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Dave Edmunds, and Peter Green. “Lonesome Whistle Blues,” “San-Ho-Zay,” and “I’m Tore Down” each reached the R&B Top Ten that year.

Freddie King remained with King Records until 1968; a second instrumental collection, Freddy King Gives You a Bonanza of Instrumentals, was issued in 1965, although subsequent singles failed to chart. His impact nevertheless resonated among blues and rock guitarists throughout the decade, with Eric Clapton featuring “Hide Away” as a centerpiece in 1965. Late in 1968 he moved to Atlantic/Cotillion, releasing Freddie King Is a Blues Master in 1969 and My Feeling for the Blues in 1970, both produced by King Curtis. After those projects he and the label parted ways.

Early in 1970 King signed with Leon Russell’s Shelter Records and completed three albums for the imprint that enjoyed solid sales. His concerts drew enthusiastic crowds from both blues and rock audiences. In 1974 he joined RSO Records, Eric Clapton’s label at the time, and issued Burglar, which Clapton produced and on which he performed. Following its release, King toured the United States, Europe, and Australia. In 1975 he delivered his second RSO album, Larger Than Life.

Despite declining health, Freddie King continued performing across America throughout 1976. He died of heart failure on December 29, 1976, at the age of forty-two. His influence on blues and rock guitarists remained evident for decades afterward.