I watched 'Freddie King Live Dallas, Texas Jan. 20th 1973' http://tinyurl.com/l5rhrp, and even though I still not feeling well, I just had to pull my Epi Dot 335, and play along with concert footage.

I saw Freddie King live in '71 when he was opening for Leon Russell at
Xavier Collage Field house in Cincinnati. I had just turned 21ys, and was about a year away from playing guitar. I don't even think I had heard of Freddie King. We were going to see Leon Russell.

King came out smoking! I was totally blown away, this was my first time seeing blues live.

After King finished his show, I stepped outside to get some air , and saw King and the band members having a smoke. I went over and talked to him. He was so nice, he talked about learning to play guitar from his cousin Lightnin Hopkins in TX, and later learning for Jimmy Rogers in Chicago.

I hadn't heard of any of those bluesmen, yet. You have to remember that I hadn't started playing guitar, but was writing concert reviews for a underground newspaper 'The Raspberry Radical' back in Dayton OH.

I don't even see Leon Russell's show, I was so enthralled with King, even to this day.

Lets watch Freddie King live http://tinyurl.com/kvqjn3.

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Tony Houston

That's a cool story, it must have been great to see him live.

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It was great seeing King, and you have to remember I was playing guitar, so it was just the music that blew me away.

Years later, in the early '80s I got the chance to play one of King's ES 335s. When bluesman Snapper Mitchum moved to Dayton, his wife's hometown. He started a band 'Snapper & The Blues Invaders' and recruited me & Big John

.
Snapper & The Blues Invaders at Canal Street Tavern, Dayton, Ohio

John was a collector and had bought one of King's ES 335 back in the '70s. He let me play it once at his house..... I still sounded like me .

That ES 335 was on display in the Dallas Hard Rock Cafe the last time I talked to Big John.

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Tony Houston

O.K., Tony. You just out cooled me (and I'm pretty cool). I had a drink with Lonnie Brooks, but I can't touch talking to Freddie!!

When I was aout 16 there was a TV show out of Dallas that came on late at night. It was called What's Shakin' and it just TORE IT UP!!!

It was a music show with a full band and horn section laying down stuff that just blew me away. I was all about the British Invasion and get just floored by the blues. This was the music men played...not kids!! The band leader was Clarence Gatemouth Brown playing a non-reverse Firebird with three pick-ups. They would have guest on and guess who lived right there in Dallas...(I know you know) it was FREDDIE KING!!!

Freddie came out and started sqeeeeezzzzing notes out of his guitar. Withing about two minutes he was totally soaked thru with sweat. It was dripping off the end of his nose and he was just over the top as a showman.

I have followed Freddie ever since. I have only recently tried to play along with any of his stuff. I just listened and tried to bring some of his energy into my own style. He will always be my number one guitar hero.

Palace of the KING, Babe!!!

Ah, I know Lonnie Brooks, and have opened for him several times.

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Tony Houston

Dude, would you please show a little mercy??!?!! I mean seriously...with a picture of you and Lonnie Brooks! Just too much!!

I got some more names to lay on you, but I have already seen you with James Burton and I'm not sure that can be topped!!

Can I say I know you?

.

Are you kidding?! You really don't know who I am .

I've backed Hubert Sumlin


Me & Hubert

And I've been friends with Tommy Shaw since their first tour.



Oh, Primetime has opened for Lil Ed a few times.



Me & Ed after a gig.

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Tony Houston

Dude... Wow.

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All the stars with guitars and that cranberry get-up you have on in the last pic!!

I can see I'm gonna have to scan a few photos so I won't get totally shut down.

A couple of my brags are that I was introduced to Leo Fender and I introduced Eddie Van Halen to Seymour Duncan. I didn't take a lot of pictures but I do have me with Bill Lawrence and Mel Bay.

I've known Seymour for years, I was a field tester for the Seymour Duncan 100w Convertible Amp back in the mid '80s http://www.diyguitarist.com/GuitarAmps/Convert.htm.

You can see it in the lower right in this pic:
.

Me & Seymour

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Tony Houston

I see the amp down there.

I saw Seymour long ago at a small guitar show in L.A. He had the pickup rewinding service back them. He was carrying around Jeff Beck's old Esquire.

I did a favor for Van Halen's road manager and he brought Eddie around to meet me. I was just floored. Eddie was very cool. It was at a summer NAMM in Anahiem and I went around to a few boothes with Eddie. I ask him if he knew Seymour and he said no. I took him over to the booth and introduced them. Seymour wouldn't remember me.

I'm good friends with Johnny A, most people thing he's 'stuck-up', but he's not. He very shy, and is a great person.

I coached him on giving his demo for his Gibson guitar, he had never done a solo demo. I've done many demos for gear. He did great, and really appreciated my advice.

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Tony Houston

Tony, number one hope you are feeling better. I forgot what I was going to even say.lol Well I have to say TONY YOU ARE THE MAN. Talk about impressive it does not get more impressive than that and the great photos to boot with Legends and I do not use that word much we are talking the guys who are responsible for everything today.Out of the three Kings Freddie is mt favorite.His style was just vicious and he could stay in box 2 of the pentatonic sometimes for 5 minuetes and pull more licks than guys using the whole fretboard.Clapton was a HUGE Freddie fan and you here more of Freddie in his playing than anyone else. Right down to showing up with the es335 during cream when Clapton was at his most vicious as a player.Freddie mixed the heart of Chicago blues with the drive of Texas blues.I know everyone loves Hideaway but the Stumble is the one I had to learn.San-HO-Zay is another great one. Freddie was taken way to early from us and I am glad you posted this as a lot of our younger players probably know the least about Freddie out of the 3 Kings and guys if you have not heard him you are instore to hear where the blues and rock merged. Now I know what I am watching tonight FREDDIE KING LIVE AT THE SUGARBOWL 1972.

I am feeling better, thanks, and thanks for you kind words. I know I've been lucky, no, make that blessed to meet most of my guitar heroes.

And I really, I didn't mean to drift the thread with pictures.

I also had the experience, and it was, to back the late, great Lefty Dizz (below is a screenshot from the Greater Chicago land Blues Fest).



Lefty knew Freddie King, and told me that at the Blue Monday jam, if King was in town, and came to the jam, you could see most the guitar players sneaking out the backdoor .

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Tony Houston