Poll: Albert, B.B. or Freddie King — Who Is the Real “King” of the Blues?

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Exactly why legendary blues guitarists Albert King, B.B. King and Freddie King never got together to make a blues-themed Christmas album called We Three Kings is one of the great mysteries of the universe.

I figure it would've been an obvious move.

However, one thing that isn't so obvious is this: Who among the three axe-wielding Kings — Albert, B.B. or Freddie (no relation, by the way) — should be considered the king of Kings?

Was it the late Albert King, whose famous "Albert King bend" was the cornerstone of Stevie Ray Vaughan's slow-blues technique? Was it the late Freddie King (who was born on this date in 1934), whose early-'60s instrumentals inspired Eric Clapton to grab a Les Paul and morph into "God" for a year-plus? Or is it B.B. King, who can say more with one note than (fill in the blank) can say with 90 notes?

Cast your vote below!

P.S.: My vote goes to Freddie, based on one album — Let's Hide Away and Dance Away — alone. But that's just me ...

Damian Fanelli is the online managing editor at Guitar World.

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Damian Fanelli
Damian Fanelli
Editor-in-Chief, Guitar World

Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.

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