Freddie King - Have You Ever Loved A Woman
Born 3rd September 1934 – Gilmer, Texas
Died 28th December 1976 – Dallas, Texas
Guitarist Freddie King like T Bone Walker hailed from the Lone Star State, Texas. A bluesman, but he had a few tunes that were decidedly soul like “Funkey”, and “Hideaway”. His singles were played by Roger Eagle and later by Dave & Dave at the Blue Note, the latter continued to find and play good soul blues until the end of the sixties.
Freddie is noted as being a big influence on Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lonnie Mack. Eric Clapton made “Hide Away” his intro number in 1965.
1950 at 16 years old, his family moved to Chicago, here he frequenting the blues clubs, seeing Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Little Walter, and Eddie Taylor. And he was so influenced he started his own band; the Every Hour Blues Boys.
1957 “Country Boy” for El-Bee was his first single.
1960 signed to Federal Records, (a subsidiary of King Records) and released “You’ve Got to Love Her with a Feeling”
Hide Away which became his signature tune was named after a bar in Chicago and most influential recording. The song was adapted with assistance from Magic Sam from a Hound Dog Taylor instrumental. It was put out as the ‘B’ side to “I Love the Woman and became a minor hit.
Freddie continued to recording with King Records until 1968. Touring the USA throughout upto1976 even thoughhe was ill with heart trouble and On December 29, 1976, he died; he was only 42 years old.