Freddie King Band reunites at Allen Public Library
The Freddie Kind Band is reuniting for one night at the Allen Public Library.
February 16, 2015
Fat Tuesday and New Orleans may be the first things that come to mind when thinking about jazz this time of year, but recently the Allen public library was the site of a special reunion as the remaining members of the famous Freddie King band were brought together for only the second time since they broke up. The event was sponsored by a local couple who wanted to do something extraordinary for their 50th wedding anniversary.
The Freddie King band was well known in the 60s for it’s unique blues. Born in Gilmer, Tx King grew up picking cotton while listening to popular country music at the time. As a teenager he would sneak into nightclubs to be inspired by music legends such as Howlin’ Wolf and T-Bone Walker. In 1959 Freddie met his long term manager and friend Sonny Thompson. Under the guidance of Thompson in 1960, Freddie released his first songs and hits “Hide Away” and “Have You Ever Loved A Woman”. Freddie was at the top of charts until his tragic death in 1976, dying at the age of 42. His legacy is still present though, as he inspired famous musicians like Eric Clapton and Leon Russell.
The event at the library started off with a 30 minute documentary, published by the library, explaining the short life of Freddie King and his journey to the top of the jazz music scene. Afterwards, the band spoke for about 15 minutes, sharing their thoughts on what the night meant to them. Finally, the remaining members of the band took the stage and did what they do best, played the blues. The band was lead by Wanda King, Freddie’s daughter, who was on vocals.
The music ranged from slow songs about love and loss to uplifting and lively songs about dancing and fun nights. The wide variety of music truly showed the bands talent and made for an interesting night. The band also kept the crowd engaged, having them clap and sing along.
The crowd was definitely an older group, most of whom had grown up in the time of Freddie King. They especially seemed to be enjoying themselves as they listened to the songs that brought them joy as teenagers from the people who created them.
It was a new experience to listen to blues as it is a completely different style than the popular pop music of today. The night provided an intriguing glimpse at the life of Freddie King, one that provided a musical inspiration.
