Biography
Born December 4, 1968, as Manuel Gales, the Memphis-based left-handed guitarist who performed as Little Jimmy King ranked among the most dynamic blues artists to surface during the 1990s. He adopted his professional name in tribute to two guitar heroes, Jimi Hendrix and Albert King. Early performances leaned toward rock, yet he had shifted his focus to blues by the middle of the 1980s. In 1988 he departed the local Memphis circuit to join Albert King’s touring ensemble. The elder King referred to Little Jimmy as his grandson, while Stevie Ray Vaughan likewise expressed strong admiration for the younger player. Vaughan once told him, “Play on, brother, you've got it. Don't stop playing for nobody,” a moment King would always remember.
His debut album appeared in 1991 on Rounder’s Bullseye Blues imprint. Two years later he issued Something Inside of Me, supported by former Double Trouble members Tommy Shannon on bass and Chris “Whipper” Layton on drums. Additional guitar work from King can be found on Ann Peebles’ Full Time Love as well as Otis Clay’s I'll Treat You Right and On My Way Home. The 1995 House of Blues release Left Hand Brand united him with guitar-playing siblings Eric Gales and Eugene Gales; although the brothers frequently shared stages, this remains their sole recorded album together. Soldier for the Blues, his third Bullseye Blues effort and the only one produced by Willie Mitchell, followed in 1997.
Little Jimmy King suffered a fatal heart attack on July 19, 2002, at age 34. His concerts, preserved on the 2002 set Live at Monterey and delivered alongside the Memphis Soul Survivors, displayed the same intensity found across his three acclaimed Bullseye Blues studio albums: fiery, impassioned guitar lines, powerful vocals, and inventive songwriting. Both his stage presence and his playing left a lasting void.
His debut album appeared in 1991 on Rounder’s Bullseye Blues imprint. Two years later he issued Something Inside of Me, supported by former Double Trouble members Tommy Shannon on bass and Chris “Whipper” Layton on drums. Additional guitar work from King can be found on Ann Peebles’ Full Time Love as well as Otis Clay’s I'll Treat You Right and On My Way Home. The 1995 House of Blues release Left Hand Brand united him with guitar-playing siblings Eric Gales and Eugene Gales; although the brothers frequently shared stages, this remains their sole recorded album together. Soldier for the Blues, his third Bullseye Blues effort and the only one produced by Willie Mitchell, followed in 1997.
Little Jimmy King suffered a fatal heart attack on July 19, 2002, at age 34. His concerts, preserved on the 2002 set Live at Monterey and delivered alongside the Memphis Soul Survivors, displayed the same intensity found across his three acclaimed Bullseye Blues studio albums: fiery, impassioned guitar lines, powerful vocals, and inventive songwriting. Both his stage presence and his playing left a lasting void.
Albums
