Freddie King

Freddie King's searing Texas-to-Chicago attack redefined electric blues guitar. His 1961 instrumental "Hide Away" reached #5 on the R&B chart and #29 on the pop chart — a rare crossover for a blues instrumental in that era — and remains a template for smoldering, single-note phrasing. Eric Clapton called hearing King's playing "the first time I heard that electric lead-guitar style, with the bent notes," a moment that shaped his own sound. King's 1970s Shelter Records albums, produced with Leon Russell and Don Nix, pushed his sound to new rock audiences. He recorded dozens of original compositions, including classics like "San-Ho-Zay," and his dynamic stage presence bridged blues and rock, inspiring generations with a ferocity that still sounds fresh today.