Peter King Adeyoyin Osubu was a Nigerian saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist born in 1939 in Enugu. He began his professional career in 1957 as a percussionist for the Roy Chicago ensemble before transitioning to the double bass and the alto saxophone. King relocated to London in 1961 to study at the Trinity College of Music and subsequently co-founded the group the African Messengers. The ensemble performed at various festivals and served as the backup band for musicians including the Four Tops, The Temptations, and Diana Ross. He later established the ensemble The Blues Builders and toured Europe and Northern Africa. King returned to Nigeria in 1969 to perform for troops during the Nigerian Civil War and later toured Japan, America, and Europe with his group Shango. In 1977, he arranged the backing band for the first live concert tour of the ensemble Boney M. His recording career included the debut studio recording Shango (1974) followed by Miliki Sounds (1975) and Omo Lewa (1976). King released the studio recording A Soulfull Peter King (1977) and the studio recording Moods (1978). In 1982, he founded a school of music which later relocated to Badagry. King died on August 29, 2023.
