King's mother, Ella May King, and her brother, who both played the guitar, began teaching him to play at the age of six. He liked and imitated the music of Lightnin' Sam Hopkins and saxophonist Louis Jordan. He moved with his family from Texas to the southside of Chicago in 1950. There, at age 16 he used to sneak in to local clubs, where he heard blues music performed by the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, T-Bone Walker, Elmore James, and Sonny Boy Williamson. Howlin Wolf took him under his wing (or paw), and Freddie also began jamming with Muddy Waters' sidemen, who included Eddie Taylor, Jimmy Rogers, Robert Lockwood Jr. and Little Walter.
By 1952 he had started gigged at night and working days in a steel mill (by then he had married a Texas girl, Jessie Burnett). He got occasional work as a sideman on recording sessions. Two bands that he played with during this period were the Sonny Cooper Band, and Early Payton's Blues Cats. He formed the first band of his own, the Every Hour Blues Boys, with guitarist Jimmy Lee Robinson and drummer Sonny Scott.
In 1953 he made some recordings for Parrot. In 1956 he recorded "Country Boy", a duet with Margaret Whitfield, and "That's What You Think", an uptempo blues. This was for a local label, El-Bee. Robert Lockwood Jr. appeared as a sideman on guitar.
In 1959 he met Sonny Thompson, a pianist who worked for the King/Fedreal label. In 1960, he himself signed with that label; while there he often shared songwriting credits, and participated in marathon recording sessions, with Thompson. On August 26, 1960, he recorded "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" and "Hide Away", which were to become two of his most popular tunes. His debut release for the label was "You've Got To Love Her with Feeling". His second release on King/Federal was "I Love the Woman". "Hide Away" was used as the B side for this disk; that tune, a 12-bar mid-tempo shuffle in E with an infectious theme in the head section, and a memorable stop-time break that featured some robust-sounding work on the bass strings, was destined to become one of his signiature numbers. It was an adaptation of a tune by Hound Dog Taylor. It was named "Hide Away" after a popular bar in Chicago. Strictly an instrumental -- guitar with rhythm section -- it delighted everyone by crossing over and reaching #29 on the pop chart. It was later covered by Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Canadian guitarist Jeff Healy, and likely a majority of the bar blues bands on Planet Earth. After the success of "Hide Away", the label, which was presided over by one Syd Nathan, got Freddie and Sonny Thompson to work on making more instrumentals. This they did, producing over 30 of them during the next five years. The following is a partial list: "The Stumble," "Low Tide," "Wash Out," "Sidetracked", "San-Ho-Zay," "Heads Up," "Onion Rings," and "The Sad Nite Owl". Freddie became popular with a young white audience, in Britain as well as the United States, and his playing was a major influence on the upcoming breed of rock guitarists. During this period he was touring frequently along with the big R&B acts of the day such as Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, James Brown. His band included his brother Benny Turner on bass; and Tyrone Davis, who would later become known in his own right, was the driver and valet.
On the personal side, Freddie was fond, perhaps overly fond, of the Chicago night life. His official website refers to him "Gambling til dawn in the backroom of Mike's cleaners." His wife, now with six children, decided to move back to Texas. Once there, she called Syd Nathan and demanded that he send her some of the royalty money due to her husband. To his credit, he sent her two thousand dollars, with which she made the down payment on a house. Realising that the family were definitely not coming back to Chicago, Freddie, in the spring of 1963, himself moved back to Texas to rejoin them.
His contract with King/Federal expired in 1966. That same year, while making a series of appearances on an R&B program called "The!!!Beat", he was noticed by Atlantic Records front man King Curtis, and in 1968 he signed with the Atlantic subsidiary, Cotillion Records. He released two records for them (see Recordings), both of which showcased his vocal talents. They were not overwhelming commercial successes; however, his first overseas tour, in 1968, was a resounding triumph, being extended from one month to three. He was "amazed by his popularity in England."1
In 1969 he hired a young member of the "counter culture", Jack Calmes, to be his manager. Calmes got him booked at the 1969 Texas Pop Festival, alongside Led Zeppelin and others; and got him signed to Leon Russell's new label, Shelter Records. Shelter records was based in Oklahoma, and featured blues/rock performers such as Linda Ronstadt and Joe Cocker. The company treated Freddie as an important artist, flying him to Chicago to the former Chess studios for th recording of his first album, and giving him a supporting cast of top-calibre session musicians -- including Russell, a rock pianist.
As were many of the top bluesmen of his generation, he was now playing what he affectionately called the "Fillmore circuit", playing alongside the big rock acts of the day for a young, mainly white, audience. As a result of his touring with Eric Clapton, the two became good friends -- Clapton held him in very high esteem -- and following his term at Shelter Records, Freddie signed with the label Clapton was recording for, RSO. His first album there, Burglar, was produced by Clapton, and had him playing on several tracks.
He continued to tour heavily. He died in Dallas in 1976 from a heart attack and complications arising from bleeding ulcers and pancreatitis. He was just 42 years of age.
Palace Of The King
Freddie King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
raised up in the city of the wind.
Yeah, I could spend a month of Sundays,
talkin' 'bout the places I've been.
Yeah, I played the blues in England,
I visit 'da queen
She really dug my style,
but queen is not my thing;
I'm goin' back to Dallas,
livin' in the palace of the king.
Hey, they wanted me in Russia,
but Moscow was much too cold.
Yeah, I coulda' played down in Bismarck,
but the girls was much too old.
Yeah, Lord Italians talk funny,
I don't know what they say,
I can't find a Chitlins Pizza
for any price I pay;
I'm goin' back to Dallas,
livin' in the palace of the king.
Oh I'm living in the palace of the king.
Yeah I'm living in the palace,
gives me service quite the same yeah.
I can make you smile,
every note I play.
I can make you happy
by playin' the blues my way.
I'm goin back to Dallas,
livin' in the palace of the king.
Yeah I'm living in the palace of the king
Yeah I'm Living in the palace,
ever serviced quite the same yeah.
Been around the world,
I heard many things,
nothing could make me feel satisfied,
but this blues I sing.
I'm goin' back to Dallas,
livin' in the palace of the king.
Oh I'm living in the palace of the king.
Hey I'm living in the palace of the king.
Yeah I'm living in the palace of the king.
Yes I'm living in the palace of the king.
The lyrics to Freddie King’s song Palace of the King tell the story of his time as a blues musician, traveling around the world and playing his music for different audiences. King was born in Dallas and raised in Chicago, and he reminisces about the places he’s been to and the various experiences he’s had. He speaks about his time playing the blues in England and even visiting the queen, but ultimately decides that he wants to go back to Dallas where he feels most at home. Throughout the song, King emphasizes the power of his music and how it can make people happy and bring them joy. He feels most fulfilled when he’s playing the blues, indicating his devotion to the genre and his belief in its ability to connect people across cultures.
The line “livin' in the palace of the king” is a metaphor for King’s deep connection to the blues and the satisfaction it brings him. The palace represents the world of music, where he is king because of his ability to captivate audiences with his talent. The blues is his royal court, and by playing it, he is fulfilling his destiny and reaching his ultimate potential. The song is a celebration of his love for the music and the joy it brings to his life, and it shows how the blues can be a universal language that brings people together.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born down in Dallas,
I originated from Dallas.
raised up in the city of the wind.
I was raised in a windy city.
Yeah, I could spend a month of Sundays,
I could talk about my experiences for a long time.
talkin' 'bout the places I've been.
I have traveled to many places and have stories to tell.
Yeah, I played the blues in England,
I performed blues music in England.
I visit 'da queen
I met the queen of England.
She really dug my style,
She enjoyed my performing style.
but queen is not my thing;
Royalty is not my scene.
I'm goin' back to Dallas,
I am returning to Dallas.
livin' in the palace of the king.
I am living in luxury like a king.
Hey, they wanted me in Russia,
I was invited to perform in Russia.
but Moscow was much too cold.
However, Moscow was colder than I could handle.
Yeah, I coulda' played down in Bismarck,
I could have performed in Bismarck.
but the girls was much too old.
The crowd was not what I expected, so I did not perform there.
Yeah, Lord Italians talk funny,
I find the Italian language amusing.
I don't know what they say,
I do not understand Italian.
I can't find a Chitlins Pizza
I cannot find a specific type of pizza that I like.
for any price I pay;
I am willing to pay any amount for that pizza.
Oh I'm living in the palace of the king.
I am currently living a luxurious life.
Yeah I'm living in the palace,
I am living in a palace-like place.
gives me service quite the same yeah.
I am provided with excellent service.
I can make you smile,
My music has the power to make people happy.
every note I play.
All of my music has this impact.
I can make you happy
I can bring joy to people through my music.
by playin' the blues my way.
My unique style of playing blues music has this effect.
Been around the world,
I have traveled extensively.
I heard many things,
I have heard many different sounds and music styles.
nothing could make me feel satisfied,
Despite all of this, I still feel unsatisfied.
but this blues I sing.
My love for blues music is the only thing that brings me true satisfaction.
Hey I'm living in the palace of the king.
I am still living my luxurious lifestyle.
Yes I'm living in the palace of the king.
I am repeating that I am living the high life.
Contributed by Jack N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.