Albert King

For other people named Albert King, see Albert King (disambiguation).

Albert King
King in 1978
King in 1978
Background information
Birth nameAlbert Nelson
Born(1923-04-25)April 25, 1923
Indianola, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedDecember 21, 1992(1992-12-21) (aged 69)
Memphis, Tennessee
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • producer
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • drums
  • vocals
Years active1949–1992
Labels
Formerly ofBooker T. & the M.G.'s

Albert Nelson (April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), known by his stage name Albert King, was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time.[2][3][4][5] He is perhaps best known for his popular and influential album Born Under a Bad Sign (1967) and its title track. He, B. B. King, and Freddie King, all unrelated, were known as the "Three Kings of the Blues".[6] The left-handed Albert King was known for his "deep, dramatic sound that was widely imitated by both blues and rock guitarists".[7]

He was once nicknamed "The Velvet Bulldozer" because of his smooth singing and large size – he stood taller than average, with sources reporting 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) or 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), and weighed 250 lb (110 kg) – and also because he drove a bulldozer in one of his day jobs early in his career.[8][9]

King was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1983. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2023, he was ranked number 22 on Rolling Stone's 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.[10]

  1. ^ Garner, Bonita. "Albert King: A Biography". Mississippi Writers and Musicians. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  2. ^ updated, Total Guitar editorslast (July 6, 2020). "The 100 greatest guitarists of all time". guitarworld. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  3. ^ Arnold-Forster, Will (November 7, 2020). "The Best Blues Guitarists of All Time | Guitar Legends". Jazzfuel. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  4. ^ "100 Greatest Blues Guitarists". digitaldreamdoor.com. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  5. ^ "22 Most Influential and Best Blues Guitarists - TheGuitarLesson.com". www.theguitarlesson.com. September 8, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  6. ^ "Albert King (1923–1992)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton Books. pp. 72–73. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
  9. ^ "Albert King | Memphis Music Hall of Fame". memphismusichalloffame.com. February 20, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  10. ^ "The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.