Willie King: Difference between revisions
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==Awards== |
==Awards== |
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*Alabama Folk Heritage Award (awarded posthoumously) 2009 |
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*Howlin' Wolf Hall of Fame Inducted September 2, 2005 |
*Howlin' Wolf Hall of Fame Inducted September 2, 2005 |
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*Alabama State Council on the Arts 2004 Artist Fellowship |
*Alabama State Council on the Arts 2004 Artist Fellowship |
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Revision as of 18:23, 14 June 2009
Willie King |
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Willie King (March 8, 1943 – March 8, 2009) was an award-winning blues guitarist and singer, known for shunning fame and playing at a local bar in Mississippi.[1]
Biography
King was born in Prairie Point, a community in Noxubee County, Mississippi near the Alabama border. Prior to recording he began his working life as a traveling salesman before becoming a member of the civil rights movement.[2] In 1997 he founded the Freedom Creek blues festival. He began recording in 1999 His 200 recording Freedom Creek and I Am The Blues' ', were the first of several acclaimed albums.
King performed at national and international festivals but mostly played near his home, most notably as a regular at Bettie's Juke Joint in Mississippi. He described his music as "struggling blues" because of its focus on the "injustices in life in the rural South".[3]
King died from a heart attack shortly before his 66th birthday, near his home in the rural community of Old Memphis, Alabama, just a few miles from his birthplace.[4] [5]
Willie King on film
Dutch film-makers Saskia Rietmeijer and Bart Drolenga (Visible World Films) wanted to produce a documentary about African American arts and culture in the Deep South. But they met Willie King and instead decided to devote their efforts to creating a documentary about Willie's life and times, titled Down in the Woods. King was also featured in Martin Scorsese’s 2003 documentary series The Blues and Shout Factory's Blues Story the same year.
Discography
Albums
| Date | Title | Label | Comments |
| 1999 | Walkin' the Walk Talkin' the Talk | self-produced | With "Birmingham" George Conner |
| 2000 | I Am the Blues | Rural Members Association | |
| Freedom Creek | Rooster Blues | Live with the Liberators | |
| 2002 | Living in a New World | Rooster Blues | With the Liberators |
| 2004 | Jukin' at Bettie's | Freedom Creek Music | |
| 2006 | One Love | Freedom Creek Music |
Videos
| Date | Title | Label | Formats | Comments |
| 2003 | Blues Story | Shout Factory | DVD | Directed by Jay Levey |
| 2003 | The Blues: Feel Like Going Home | Universal/Sony | DVD, VHS | First episode of a seven-part documentary by Martin Scorcese |
| 2007 | Down in the Woods | Visible World Films | DVD | 63 minute documentary plus 40 minutes of live music |
Awards
- Alabama Folk Heritage Award (awarded posthoumously) 2009
- Howlin' Wolf Hall of Fame Inducted September 2, 2005
- Alabama State Council on the Arts 2004 Artist Fellowship
- Living Blues 2003 Blues Artist of the Year, Best Song, Best Cover Art
- Living Blues 2001 Best Blues Artist
- Living Blues 2000 Best Blues Album, Best Contemporary Blues Album[6]
See also
Sources
References
- ^ http://www.lastingtribute.co.uk/tribute/king/3038034
- ^ http://www.willie-king.com/
- ^ http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20090309/NEWS/903091998/0/SPORTS04
- ^
Mamrack, Kristin (2009-03-09). "Legendary local bluesman Willie King dies at 66". The Commercial Dispatch. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Willie King, Bluesman, Is Dead at 65". New York Times. 2009-03-10. Retrieved 11 March 2009.
- ^ http://www.alabamablues.org/Willie%20King/WillieKingIndex.htm#awards
External links
- Obituary at Lasting Tribute
- Obituary which aired on Alabama Public Radio
- News story at tuscaloosanews.com
- Willie King homepage
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