Bobby King | |
---|---|
Birth name | Robert L. King |
Born | Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States | January 29, 1941
Died | July 22, 1983 Chicago, Illinois, United States | (aged 42)
Genres | Chicago blues |
Occupation(s) | Guitarist, singer, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
Years active | Early 1960s–1983 |
Robert L. King (January 29, 1941 – July 22, 1983) was an American Chicago blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. [1] King worked with Hank Ballard and The Midnighters, Bobby Bland, Lee "Shot" Williams, Eddy Clearwater, Freddie King, Lonnie Johnson, The Aces and Sonny Thompson. [2] Although he may be better remembered as a session musician, between 1962 and 1975, King recorded four singles and one album.
Following a violent altercation in a Chicago nightclub, King died from his injuries at the age of 42.
Bobby King was born in Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. [1] He was inspired by the work of Fenton Robinson and Larry Davis, before his relocation to Chicago, Illinois, following a short spell in 1959 in St. Louis, Missouri. [3] He became a local favorite largely operating in the West Side, Chicago blues clubs, before his second single, "What a Day, What a Night" (1964), brought him to a larger audience. [4]
King's jazz styled guitar work saw him used as a session musician, recording behind blues musicians such as Lee "Shot" Williams, Eddy Clearwater and Freddie King. He also toured, backing both Bobby Bland and Hank Ballard. [3] His debut single, "Thanks Mr. Postman", an answer song to " Please Mr. Postman", had been released by Federal Records in 1962. Two other singles followed on small local labels, but none attracted tangible sales. [5]
In 1975, his debut album release, Chaser, a live recording, was issued on the French label MCM Records. King wrote two of the songs, including the title track. [6] [7] In 1977, an article on King appeared in the Blues Unlimited magazine. [8]
King planned to undertake a tour of Europe and Japan, but a violent quarrel arose at Louise's, a Chicago club, which left King badly injured and unable to play the guitar. He subsequently died from his wounds on July 22, 1983. [3] An obituary appeared in Living Blues magazine (issue No. 58) later that year. [9]
King's work has appeared on a number of compilation albums. These include King New Breed Rhythm & Blues (2002) which incorporated "Thanks Mr. Postman", [10] R&B Hipshakers Vol. 3: Just a Little Bit of the Jumpin' Bean (2012), [11] and The R & B Singles Collection Volume 2 (2013). [12]
Year | A-side | B-side | Record label |
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1962 | "Thanks Mr. Postman" | "Two Telephones" | Federal Records |
1964 | "What a Day, What a Night" | "W-A-S-T-E-D" | Federal Records |
1968 | "Froggy Bottom Pt. 1" | "Froggy Bottom Pt. 2" | Weis Records |
1973 | "Let Me Come on Home" | "What Made You Change Your Mind" | Sound Plus Records |
Year | Title | Record label | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1975 | Chaser | MCM Records | A live album recorded at Queen Bee's Lounge, Chicago, on October 9, 1975 |
NB. Chaser contained two King compositions, including the title track; otherwise the tracks are mainly covers of blues standards. It was re-released on CD on Storyville Records (1998) [16]