While his name is spoken in respectful tones in blues circles, Freddie King’s not as widely celebrated as his unrelated namesakes BB and Albert, partly because he died in 1976 at just 42 – too young to become a true grandee of the genre. But for a taste of his utterly enthralling blend of Texas and Chicago blues, delve into the Texan Cannonball’s deep studio catalogue, from 1961 debut Freddy [sic] King Sings, and watch him live online. By turns joyfully upbeat and tearfully expressive, King’s guitar style has informed Clapton to Black Stone Cherry’s Chris Robertson and countless more. A soulful singer and an imposing figure, he would strap his guitar over just his right shoulder, and use mainly his thumb and index finger to pick bluesy notes, wringing every ounce of feel out of them. A big man with a big attitude, this King was the real deal.