Month: July 2020

Let’s start in Gilmer, with the Texas Cannonball himself, Freddie King. We’ve talked about a host of influential musicians so far, but few had a similar reach and influence on modern guitar playing like this man, Freddie! I don’t know what’s in the water, but there’s something about guys with the last name King on the guitar… When many of his blues contemporaries featured a rougher, rawer sound, King focused on laying down more sophisticated work, infusing Texas and Chicago blues. After leaving the Windy City’s steel mills and devoting his full time to music, King watched his life change drastically. In 1960, the Lone Star state native recorded one of the most famous blues songs in history, “Hideaway.” He went on to record several studio albums and influenced many of the world’s greatest guitarists. Without this man, there may be no Jeff Beck, Peter Green, or Eric Clapton. If you were a flash guitar player in the UK, this was the guy. Sadly, King died in 1976. In 2012, he took his place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, capping off a legendary career. https://4ormypeople.com/4-the-music/2020/6/12/freddie-king