An American Delta blues guitarist by the name of Little Freddie King was born on July 19, 1940, as Fread Eugene Martin. Although he draws inspiration from Freddie King's style, his interpretation of country blues is unique. 

 

King, a cousin of Lightnin' Hopkins,  hails from McComb, Mississippi, and was taught to play the guitar by his father, Jessie James Martin, a blues guitar player himself. When he was just 14 years old, he hopped on a train and moved to New Orleans. Playing both acoustic and electric guitar, he, along with his buddies Babe Stovall, Slim Harpo, and Champion Jack Dupree, took the stage at juke joints. He improved his guitar skills by performing at infamous venues such as the Bucket of Blood, which he later made into a song. He collaborated and performed with great musicians like Bo Diddley and John Lee Hooker. Additionally, he played bass for Freddy King during one of the guitarist's stints in New Orleans. People began comparing the two musicians' styles, hence Martin's nome-de-plume

 

Meanwhile, King has been a long-standing New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival member and has performed at the event for several decades. Being inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame is one of his notable achievements. In New Orleans, he received the Blues Performer of the Year accolade on three separate occasions. A Mississippi Blues Trail marker was bestowed upon him as an honor in McComb, Mississippi.

 

Little Freddie's musical range is diverse, but his sound currently resembles that of his cousin Lightin' Hopkins, though it has a raw edge. Indeed, Freddie truly deserves the title of "King" as he reigns supreme over the blues scene in Crescent City.