One of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with BB King and Freddie King), Albert King stood 6 4" (192 cm) (some reports say 6 7") and weighed 250 lbs (118 kg)[1] and was known as "The Velvet Bulldozer". He was born Albert Nelson on a cotton plantation in Indianola, Mississippi. During his childhood he would sing at a family gospel group at a church. One of 13 children, King grew up picking cotton on plantations near Forrest City, Arkansas where the family moved when he was eight. He began his professional work as a musician with a group called In The Groove Boys in Osceola, Arkansas.[1] He also briefly played drums for Jimmy Reeds band and on several early Reed recordings. Influenced by blues musicians Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lonnie Johnson, but also interestingly Hawaiian music, the electric guitar became his signature instrument, his preference being the Gibson Flying V, which he named "Lucy". King was a left-handed "upside-downbackwards" guitarist. He was left-handed, but usually played right-handed guitars flipped over upside-down so the low E string was on the bottom. In later years he played a custom-made guitar that was basically left-handed, but had the strings reversed (as he was used to playing). He also used very unorthodox tunings (ie, tuning as low as C to allow him to make sweeping string bends). Some believe that he was using open E minor tuning (CBEGBE) or open F tuning (CFCFAD). A "less is more" type blues player, he was known for his <b>…<b>