Freddie King was one of the most successful instrumentalists in the blues, able to turn a seemingly endless string of themes into crafty guitar hooks with dance beats in keeping with the times during the 1960s and subsequently emerging as an electric guitar hero to the burgeoning blues-rock generation both in America and in England. An effective and emotional vocalist as well, especially on slow blues, King actually had more hit singles as a singer than he did with his instrumentals. Born Fred Christion in Gilmer, Texas, on Sept. 3, 1934, he took his mother’s surname as his stage moniker and spelled his name both Freddie and Freddy at different points in his career (verified by autographs signed both ways). The vital Chicago blues scene of the 1950s was his training ground, as King absorbed the music of Jimmy Rogers, Eddie Taylor, Robert Jr. Lockwood, and others, including Hound Dog Taylor (who provided the inspiration for King’s instrumental smash “Hide Away”). Especially during his tenure with King/Federal Records in the early ’60s, King was at the forefront of the modern Chicago blues movement along with fellow guitar aces Magic Sam, Buddy Guy, and Otis Rush. In 1963 King moved back to Texas, where he would become an idol among rock audiences, especially when he was working with Leon Russell’s Shelter label. His star was continuing to shine ever more brightly when he was hospitalized with a sudden illness and died on Dec. 28, 1976, in Dallas.
— Jim O’Neal
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