Blues on a Saturday: Freddie King

Freddie King has been selected to be a 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee in the "early influences" category. Allmusic.com says of King

Guitarist Freddie King rode to fame in the early '60s with a spate of catchy instrumentals which became instant bandstand fodder for fellow bluesmen and white rock bands alike. Employing a more down-home (thumb and finger picks) approach to the B.B. King single-string style of playing, King enjoyed success on a variety of different record labels. Furthermore, he was one of the first bluesmen to employ a racially integrated group on-stage behind him.

In the early 1970s, Clayton Crawford and I drove up from Winfield to see King at Wichita's Century II. King was, as I recall, on the underbill of the a three act show. We weren't interest much in hearing the other bands, but we sure wanted to hear King. King, who toured incessantly, had car trouble and couldn't make the gig. The promoters held back this info until after the first band had played. Then they offered a piddling refund. Here are two King classics, which have been covered by many blues and rock artists.