Willie King

RIP Willie King 3/8/1943-3/8/2009: This sad news just in: Alabama blues legend Willie King has died of a heart attack. He was 66 (sadly, it was also his birthday). Widely acclaimed as a master of down home, juke joint blues, Willie ambassadored this music at numerous festivals in the U.S. and Europe. His music often reflected his admiration for the music of Howlin' Wolf. He put a socially conscious political emphasis on many of his songs.

He also sponsored the annual Freedom Creek Blues Festival. A kind and generous man with a great talent, Willie recorded great albums for the Rooster Blues and RMA labels, a DVD for Visible World Films, and was a part of Martin Scorsese's The Blues documentary. For a complete bio of Willie King, click here. To see film clips of Willie King on YouTube, click here, here, and here. Thanks, Willie, for your great music and your message contained within it.