Albert King
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. 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". The left-handed Albert King was known for his "deep, dramatic sound that was widely imitated by both blues and rock guitarists".
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.
Quotes about Albert King
[edit]- Albert King is the Muhammad Ali of blues guitar -- a heavyweight with finesse, a bruiser with grace. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
- Tom Wheeler of Guitar Player, as quoted from the liner notes of I'll Play the Blues for You
- There are only a few immediately recognizable electric guitarists and Albert King is one of them. [...] Perhaps the main ingredient in his uniqueness is his sense of dynamics.
- Tom Wheeler of Guitar Player, as quoted from the liner notes of I'll Play the Blues for You
- [King] used to be a bulldozer driver, and plays like it. An awesomely physical guitarist, he may grab a note by the throat and muscle it up to the breaking point with his beefy right hand. Or he may just squeeze that note a little, and a little more, and a little more, teasing, coaxing, twisting it into place with subtly shaded bends. Albert King is the master of both the knockout band the nuance, and for him both extremes yield remarkably expressive results. [...] With his electrifying vibrato and eternal sustain, he covers a range of expression from delicate quips to police siren wails.
- Tom Wheeler of Guitar Player, as quoted from the liner notes of I'll Play the Blues for You
- Like his renowned guitar playing, Albert's husky voice is a most sensitive blues instrument -- sometimes powerful, sometimes gentle, often both. It's an intimate voice, full of experience and humor, and it's just as personal and identifiable as his guitar work.
- Tom Wheeler of Guitar Player, as quoted from the liner notes of I'll Play the Blues for You
