Albert King
USA, 1953–1992
American blues guitarist (1923-1992), one of the Three Kings of the blues. Playing left-handed on a right-handed guitar, he used wide string bends heard on 'Born Under a Bad Sign' and copied by Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
MusicRoots documents 2 artists who influenced Albert King and 1 artist Albert King influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.
Who influenced Albert King?
- T-Bone Walker — T-Bone Walker's pioneering electric-blues lead was the model King built his own string-bending style on.
- Blind Lemon Jefferson — The country-blues records of Blind Lemon Jefferson were part of the Delta bedrock behind King's blues.
Which artists did Albert King influence?
- Stevie Ray Vaughan — Albert King was Vaughan's major influence — the two met and played together in 1976, and King's string-bending phrasing is all over SRV's leads.