The Velvet Bulldozer: Albert King’s Legacy
IIf anyone can hold the title of string-bending champion, it’s Mr. Albert King.
Standing at a massive 6 ft 4″, Albert “The Velvet Bulldozer” King took to the stage with his iconic Flying V and a transistor amp — no valves here!
Unlike the other Kings (B.B. and Freddie), Albert didn’t become a major figure in blues until the mid-60s, despite his debut release dating back to 1953.
Backed by Stax’s house band, with MD Booker T. Jones, who also wrote his signature tune Born Under a Bad Sign, Albert rose to become a blues giant, not just figuratively but literally!
Since its release in 1967, Born Under a Bad Sign has been covered by countless blues guitarists and singers, including Cream and Paul Butterfield.
Other notable tracks from Albert include Crosscut Saw, I’ll Play the Blues for You, and Oh, Pretty Woman (later covered by Gary Moore).
Perhaps best known for his enormous string bends, Albert achieved his signature sound with his Flying V turned upside down, leaving the strings unaltered. This unique technique allowed him to bend his high E string like no other, bending down, not up.
Albert’s legacy is deeply felt in the work of Stevie Ray Vaughan, with his wild bends, and it’s clear that Freddie King must have been influenced by Albert’s sound as well.
Albert King Tunes | Related Pages
Born Under A Bad Sign | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn how to play Born Under A Bad Sign by Albert King using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and a Spytunes video guitar lesson.
| Db7 | Db7 | Db7 | Db7 (Gb G) |
Born under a bad sign, been down since I began to crawl…
Love Me Tender | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Love Me Tender by Elvis using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| D D/A | E7 E7/B | A7 | D D/A |
Love me tender, love me sweet, never let me go…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Love Me Tender (Elvis) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Albert King on the web
