Freddy King

Freddy King (1934-1976) was perhaps the greatest of the classic blues guitarists. He was also a fantastic singer. King played using a plastic thumbpick and a metal fingerpick to create a very different attack. He played a Gibson Goldtop Les Paul for most of his early recordings on the King label -- including such classics as "Hideaway," "Have You Ever Loved A Woman," and "The Stumble."

During the surf guitar instrumental craze of the early 60s. King recorded around 30 instrumentals - many of which have become blues guitar classics. King claims that his instrumentals were improvised - not planned out ahead of time! He was the most creative and versatile of the Chicago blues guitar players - making each solo and instrumental sound different from the others.

King left King/Federal Records in 1966 and recorded more for Atlantic and Shelter Records during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the late 60s, his style changed quite a bit - becoming more "rocked-out." This change made him very popular among the growing legions of white blues musicians and fans - especially Eric Clapton.

King died of a heart attack in 1976 at the age of 42.

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