Freddie King (1934-1976) was born in Gilmer, Texas on September 3 1934. Learn to play the guitar very young (it is said that already at 6 years was able to play a whole song) thanks to the teachings of his mother and uncle, when he was only 16 years he moved to Chicago in search of glory and met great bluesmen of the "windy city": Muddy Waters and Jimmy Rogers and Eddie Taylor take a liking to teach him the secrets of electric guitar and inserting it into the club circuit where you create a reputation that earned him a recording contract, however, with giants of the time (Chess and Cobra).
In this period he worked as a day laborer in a steel mill and in the evening playing the blues in the company of Otis Rush and Magic Sam. Freddy as a session man, however, was much in demand and his name appears a number of recordings in the period including that of "Spoonful" Howlin 'Wolf. After a couple of 45s-successful a great opportunity presents itself when the Federal (thanks to the famous pianist Sonny Thompson) gives him the ability to record a series of songs in their own name appears among those that later become its symbol is the famous "Hide Away" an instrumental that will come even in the top ten American giving him a big reputation. For all 60
King recorded a tremendous amount of disk changes with great ease from blues to R & B to funk, riding a bit 'all the fashions of the moment, and it was this lack of a precise stylistic situation to make him earn criticism from many. The instrumental tracks, usually of up time, characterized by the very tight turns, are her strength so he can put as many as 6 in the charts simultaneously. Irresistibly attracted to the new dimension of international rock star Freddy made the mistake to affect a lot of records that we can easily define unnecessary and that it undermined the reputation and importance for many years (although recently its shape has been reassessed and Its importance is recognized everywhere).
Despite this, however, the Texas bluesman is an extraordinary musician, just think which at the time the young musicians who supported an audition for the various labels in the industry was asked to play Hide Away, they were able to reproduce all the agreements to the satisfaction then he was given a chance. Even today, despite being passed over 40 this song is immortal as a sort of culmination of all the bluesmen that more and more often placed in the lineup of their concerts.
Freddy was a 'huge man with huge hands so that just the exceptional size of his fingers have not ever allowed to try to slide as he himself says: "My fingers are too big to use the metal bar." Despite this he was a very fast guitar player who was the violence of its features sound (played in bare hands without a pick) going with a natural vibrato-rich solos from other clean and elegant. As we have said his performances on disc left to be desired but often live the least known of the King was a real beast which has earned the nickname Texas Cannonball; during concerts free from the impositions of the market (to which I must say never opposite) Freddy could erupt resulting in nothing short of incendiary performances.
died in Dallas in 1976, just 42 years, died of a heart attack aggravated by hepatitis, ulcers and fatigue.
(Adapted freely from Rocklab.it)
Do not speak italian? Read His biography on Wikipedia 
Tu ne parles pas anglais? Lis sa biographie sur Wikipedia 
Hide Away (4.4 MB - MP3)
I'm Tore Down (2.4 MB - MP3)
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