Freddie King

An influence on Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton, the "Texas Cannonball" was born near Gilmer on September 3, 1934. His family moved to Chicago when he was fifteen where he immediately began sneaking into South Side nightclubs listening to such artists as Muddy Waters and Elmore James. He later became a headliner in the newly-emerging blues clubs on the West Side.


King is best known for his aggressive guitar style in instrumentals such as "Hideaway", which led to the release of the album "Freddie King Goes Surfing". He died of heart failure in Dallas on December 28, 1978 at the age of 42.