This profile of the great guitarist Freddie King seems to have been written by a family member:
Freddie was born in Gilmer Texas on September 3 1934 with the given name of Freddy King to Ella May King and J.T. Christian. My father’s mother told him that her grandfather ( who was a full-blooded Choctaw Indian) prophesied to her that she would have a child that will stir the souls of millions and inspire and influence generations. My grandmother and her brother Leon played the guitar. Freddie’s mother recognized early her first born interest in music. She and her brother Leon began teaching him to play rural country blues at the age of six. His early music heroes were Sam Lightnin Hopkins (who he credits his proficiency of the down home thumb-finger picken style) and Louis Jordan (the jump blues saxophonist). He told me that he would play Jordan’s record over and over again until he could match his horn, note for note. This discipline would have a major impact on his phrasing.
The last section is quite interesting:
His spirits was soon lifted with the success of his first overseas tour in 1968. He was originally booked for a month and it was extended to three. He was amazed by his popularity in England, a new generation of young white musicians like Eric Clapton, MickTaylor, and others were trying to emulate Freddie King. In 1969 Freddie hires a new manager Jack Calmes. Jack is young, white and part of the “counter culture” that has discovered the blues. Jack helped orchestrate Freddie’s career into high gear with the 1969 Texas Pop Festival,there he shared billing with Led Zeppelin, Sly and the family stone,Ten years After, B.B. King, among others, ” Led Zeppelin’s guys were standing there watching him perform with their mouth open” Jack said. Calmes secured a contract deal for Freddie with Leon Russell’s new label Shelter Records . Leon had been a fan of Freddie’s sizzling guitar style for years. Leon was now creating the Oklahoma blues culture with the start up of his own label. Leon Russell record label included Joe Cocker and The Nitty Gitty Dirt Band. Leon spared no expense the sessions were top shelf he flew the studio crew to Chicago and recorded the first album “Getting Ready” at the old Chess Records studio. Freddie was allowed to showcase his showmanship, Leon wanted the listening audience to experience the brilliance and raw essences of Freddie King. Shelter was the perfect springbroad for Freddie’s style of blues, hard driving and, in your face. This collaboration put Freddie into the mainstream of the white blues /rock explosion. The release of “Getting Ready” produced Freddie’s signature blues/rock hit “Going Down”.
It’s amazing how much of the great music of the that era somehow involved Leon Russell.
Above is Hideaway, which was a big hit for King. He seems to sample Henry Mancini’s Peter Gunn towards the end. Apparently, the band was instructed to not stand still. Below is a blistering version of Ain’t Nobody’s Business, a blues standard most closely associated with Billie Holiday.
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