Albert King

With his trademark Gibson Flying V guitar, Albert King rose from the 1930s cotton plantations of Arkansas to become one of the finest electrified bluesmen of his generation. Nicknamed the "Velvet Bulldozer", King made his name in 1950s Chicago before scoring his first major hit Don't Throw Your Love On Me So Strong in 1961 and moving to Memphis to sign with legendary blues label Stax in 1966. Backed by Booker T. and the M.G.'s, he produced a string of small blues hits, including As The Years Go Passing By, Cross Cut Saw and Laundromat Blues and created his classic signature tune Born Under A Bad Sign. One of the "Three Kings of the Blues" (alongside B.B. King and Freddie King), he played left-handed on an upside down right-handed guitar which helped perfect a unique, soulful and distinctive sound that proved an inspiration to the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Keith Richards. Collaborating with artists as diverse as The Doors, Stevie Ray Vaughan and the St Louis Symphony Orchestra, he toured right up until his death in 1992 from a heart attack.