Chris Thomas King

Grammy-winning New Orleans musician and actor Chris Thomas King, who lost his Uptown New Orleans home and studio to Katrina did what any blues artist would do, he wrote a song about it asking the question “What Would Jesus Do?” He wrote and recorded the song which leads off his new inspired CD “Rise” only days after the levees broke, but Chris Thomas King is no stranger to the blues.
Initially known for his audacious fusion of blues and hip-hop, Chris Thomas King reached a whole new audience with the Coen Brothers film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, not only appearing on the award-winning soundtrack but establishing himself as a serious dramatic actor as well.
Chris Thomas King is the son of respected Louisiana bluesman and club owner Tabby Thomas and thus was surrounded by music from a very young age. He began playing trumpet in sixth grade and learned guitar shortly thereafter, soaking up as much as he could by hanging out at his father's club. Even so, the young Thomas was still affected more by rock (especially Jimi Hendrix), soul, and early rap music; he didn't really settle on the blues until his late teenage years when he accompanied his father on a tour of Europe and found the audiences much larger and more enthusiastic than he'd ever experienced at home. Upon his return to the States, Thomas (as he was still known) recorded a demo tape that landed him a deal with Arhoolie Records. He played all the instruments on his debut album, The Beginning, which appeared in 1986. Thomas supported the record with tour dates in Europe and Texas, and afterwards he relocated to Austin, where he spent the next four years expanding his musical horizons and honing a more contemporary sound.
During that period, Thomas caught on with the Hightone label, for whom he debuted in 1990 with the critically acclaimed Cry of the Prophets. Afterward, Thomas proposed a follow-up project fusing blues guitar with hip-hop beats, rapped lyrics, and DJ scratching. However, parent company Warner -- which distributed Thomas through its Sire imprint -- declined to release the material, having just been burned by the controversy over Ice-T's rap-metal band Body Count. Meanwhile, Hightone wanted Thomas to continue in a more traditional vein and had him re-enter the studio to work on another record; after cutting some material, Thomas abandoned the project due to lack of interest. Over his objections, Hightone eventually released those tracks as Simple in 1993 and despite the unfinished nature of the material, Thomas again received good reviews.
Thomas took his rap-influenced material to Sony, which wasn't sure what to make of it and declined to release it. Frustrated, Thomas moved to London in hopes of finding a more receptive record company; when that didn't happen, he traveled to Copenhagen in 1991 and met a couple of Danish musicians who extensively worked on the project with him. Eventually, British producer John Porter (Los Lonely Boys) heard the tapes and helped set up a deal with RCA/BMG subsidiary Private Music. Thomas returned to the States after a three-year absence, completing his masterpiece in Los Angeles. 21st Century Blues...From da 'Hood was finally released in early 1995 and was predictably met with considerable controversy; some reviews were highly complimentary, but many festival and club promoters refused to book Thomas at all. He did find success on the concert circuit in Europe and upon his return to the U.S., he began billing himself as Chris Thomas King. King debuted his new moniker on a self-titled album for Scotti Brothers in 1997, delving deeply into the funky, gritty sound of Memphis soul. The follow-up, Red Mud, appeared on Black Top in 1998 and found King returning to the roots of the blues with mostly acoustic, folk-blues-flavored material. By this time, King was regularly playing around Louisiana, often backed by a bassist and DJ. This setup provided the foundation for his next record, 2000's Me, My Guitar and the Blues, which combined most of King's previous interests -- electric and acoustic blues, funky soul, New Orleans R&B, and hip-hop -- into a more integrated whole.
Chris Thomas King is the only blues artists to have a major impact on hip-hop music. King’s Influence on artists such as Nas, Bubba Sparks, Common, Mos Def, Kenye West, Cowboy Troy and others has brought the sound of the blues to the hip-hop generation.
He has also influenced rock acts such as Kid Rock and the White Stripes (White Stripes recently released a new book titled “21st Century Blues” proclaiming they are a “21st Century Blues” band.)
Now, 20 years after his humble beginnings Chris Thomas King is one of the most famous and successful blues artists in the world today.
Chris Thomas King’s Selected Awards and Accomplishments:
• Co-stared in Oscar winner “Ray” as bandleader Lowell Fulsom.
• 1 Album on the Billboard Pop charts for “O Brother, Where Art Thou?
• Multi - Grammy“ Award winner including “Album Of The Year” for “O Brother, Where Art Thou?
• O Brother, Where Art Thou? Has sold more than 8 million records in the United States.
• Down From the Mountain is Certified Gold with sales of approaching one million in the US.
• Co-Headlined the Down From The Mountain tour, which grossed more than 20 million dollars and drew over 250,000 people in sold-out arenas across America.
• Voted one of the “Entertainers Of The Year” by Entertainment Weekly in 2001.
• “Ray” sells more than 1 million copies and wins multiple Grammy Awards and Oscars.
The Press Are Talking About Chris Thomas King:
“His songs boast a crunching blues beat, brash guitars and howling harmonica solos.”-Time Magazine
”When this modern day bluesman gets to the crossroads, he doesn’t find the devil but rather Robert Johnson on one side and Master P on the other, both inviting him to set up shop.”-Rolling Stone
“…an audacious, exciting blend of contemporary hip-hop and traditional blues…”-Billboard Magazine
”The…guitarist heads into uncharted territory …ambitiously blending blues and rock with rap.”-Vibe
”It is … palpably clear that he is bringing his music up from deep, real places in his heart, that he believes every word he sings and every note he plays.”-The Boston Globe
”Backed by turntables, samplers and hop-hop beats, King is one of the few artists who have attempted to take blues in to the future (or even into the present)…”-The New York Daily News
”He is … a consummate bluesman, articulate in the many different languages, tropes and accents that characterize this rich and endlessly evolving art form.”-Living Blues Magazine
”Chris Thomas King is in the vanguard of today’s Blues arguably the great-grandfather of American popular music. But he doesn’t just sing and play guitar. He raps over turntable scratches and slide guitar, tortured strings, pulled and hammered.”-The Los Angeles Daily News