Professional Documents
Culture Documents
AlbertKing
David Redfern/Redferns
WhenRollingStonereporterJonLandauaskedAlbertKingin1968whohisguitarinfluenceswere,King
replied,"Nobody.EverythingIdoiswrong."Apioneerofelectricblues,King(whowaslefthanded)
playedarighthanded1959GibsonFlyingVupsidedown,withthebassstringsunconventionallyfacing
thefloor.Heusedanindecipherablesecrettuning,hittingnoteswithhisthumb.Thesixfootfour,300
poundKingwasabletobendnotesfartherandmorepowerfullythanalmostanyotherguitarist,andhis
recordsinfluencedageneration:EricClaptonliftedthe"StrangeBrew"solofromKing,andDuane
AllmanturnedthemelodyofKing's"AstheYearsGoPassingBy"intothemainriffof"Layla."Jimi
HendrixwasstarstruckwhenhisheroopenedforhimattheFillmorein1967."Itaught[Hendrix]a
lessonabouttheblues,"saidKing."Icouldhaveeasilyplayedhissongs,buthecouldn'tplaymine."
KeyTracks:"BornUnderaBadSign,""AstheYearsGoPassingBy"
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DavidGilmour
15
FreddyKing