Chris Thomas King

King was born on October 14, 1964, in Baton Rouge. His father, Tabby Thomas, is a locally prominent bluesman who owned a club called Tabby's Blues Box, which opened in 1979 and closed in 2004 following Tabby’s retirement. As a result, King, started early toward his musical future; even as a youngster he was well known as Rockin' Tabby's son and a child genius. While frequenting his father's club he performed with the late Silas Hogan, Guitar Kelly and Clarence Edwards, three masters of swamp blues. By sixth grade, King was learning to play the trumpet and later traveling as a rhythm guitar player of famous musicians like Lowell Folsom and Joe Tex. As he matured in the musical setting of New Orleans area blues culture, King was encouraged to experiment and develop his own style. Because each blues musician had a unique playing and singing style, he was discouraged from singing others' songs or even playing the way they did. He told Lisa Simeone on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition, "They would never sit me down and say, 'Well, this is how it goes.' They ... told me don't sing their songs ... 'Find your own song and sing that.'"

At some time around 1980, while King was still in his teens, he toured in Europe with a group of Louisiana artists. After returning to the United States he produced a demo recording playing all the instruments himself, which led to a deal with Arhoolie Records. King's debut album, The Beginning, appeared in 1986 and featured King on vocals, bass, and guitar. Arhoolie reissued the album in 2001 under the title “It's a Cold Ass World.”

King signed a major recording contract with Warner Brothers Records in 1989 and headlined a national tour to support the release of his greatly anticipated follow-up “Cry of the Prophets,” making his national television debut on the David Letterman Show. However, after releasing his first album, which was steeped in tradition, he embarked on bold artistic directions of his own, on following albums. Controversy and debate grew among purists because of the uncharted directions he was taking the blues. He was the first bluesman to embrace the digital music revolution and the first to introduced hip-hop along with sampling and deejay-distorted electronica into genre.

    Some rare artists create great works that are ahead of its time. Chris Thomas King has been there and done that. But Antebellum Postcards is right on time and of its time. The album has much in common with today’s popular roots bands like the Fleet Foxes, Mumford and Sons and the Civil Wars. Incorporating folk, blues and the roots of Nashville with energetic rock sensibilities developed from years of touring in front of enthusiastic crowds.

Chris Thomas King has developed a singular sound and style that transcends his blues roots from his years of performing before loyal fans at packed clubs, major festivals, theaters and juke joints. King performed more than 88 sold-out concerts with the “Down from the Mountain” tour performing alongside Alison Krauss and Union Station, Emmy Lou Harris, Ralph Stanley and others. 

As an actor King has a role in the HBO series Treme and he continues to compose music for Hollywood films. King may not have totally gone country but he’s traveling down the Lost Highway on his new CD Antebellum Postcards.

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