The Day A Blues Legend Visited Travis County Jail
It’s not every day that one of the best blues musicians in the world drops by a prison to play a couple of songs. That’s exactly what happened at the Travis Co. Jail in Austin, Texas in 1976, as depicted in a remarkable video shot by Rick Sternberg with the help of William McLellan and Linda Evans. Freddie King, AKA the ‘Texas Cannonball’, amazingly finished a gig that same day at 2am. That didn’t stop him from making the local prisoners’ day.
Such was King’s passion and commitment to his craft that he toured for 300 days a year, wowing audiences across The United States and Europe with his tremendous guitar work and extraordinarily soulful voice which could change from velvety to a spine-tingling growl in the blink of an eye.
Although renowned for his scintillating electric guitar playing, this wonderful footage captures a rare acoustic set. Joined by his half-brother, Bennie Turner, King performs excellent renditions of “Let The Good Times Roll” and a concert favourite, “Sweet Home Chicago”.
This is the kind of video that YouTube was created for. If you look hard enough among the superficial, self-important trash that clogs the site you can occasionally find something special. Relics such as this beautifully portray the way humans can come together through music and shows an easy ability to live in the moment that seems to have been lost in the modern age.
The clip also offers an intimate look at musicians who were driven by their love of music rather than a desire for wealth. King’s modesty is evident near the beginning, when he appears slightly apprehensive as to whether or not the inmates will ‘dig’ him. He needn’t be, for moments later the place is rocking. To see an otherwise bleak setting enlivened and bursting with joy is testament to his immeasurable talent as well as the magical power of music.
It is surreal to see a giant of blues music entertaining inmates watching on from behind their bars. He doesn’t even need a microphone, such is the power of his voice. It is difficult to imagine something similar happening nowadays. Would a modern day bluesman like Joe Bonamassa risk getting his suit dusty in a place like this?
It is heart-warming to see the male and female prisoners briefly forget their troubles as they clap and dance to the music. Freddie and Bennie appear to be immensely enjoying themselves in this clip, as if they were performing in front of thousands of people.
Freddie King has gone on to influence some of the great guitarists of their generations, such as Eric Clapton and Warren Haynes. In my mind he is the best of the ‘Three Kings of the Blues Guitar’. Albert and B.B. are great in their own right, but Freddie edges it as a guitarist and singer. These qualities particularities shine in 70s records like Burglar, Getting Ready and Texas Cannonball.
King’s contribution to rock and blues music cannot be overstated. Everything about his performances were genuine. Hearing him pouring out his feelings is like experiencing a volcanic eruption of passion that grips you and remains long after the song finishes. As far as I’m concerned, he’ll always be the Blues Master.
