163:, which inspired him to write socially conscious blues songs. In 1983, he founded the Rural Members Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the traditional rural skills King had grown up with, which he called 'survival skills,' and helping improve his local community. In 1997, the Rural Members Association started the annual Freedom Creek blues festival, which has since received international recognition. He began recording in 1999 and his 2000 recordings
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film-makers Saskia
Rietmeijer and Bart Drolenga (Visible World Films) wanted to produce a documentary about African American arts and culture in the
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in
Mississippi. He described his music as "struggling blues" because of its focus on the "injustices in life in the rural South".
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near the
Alabama border. Prior to recording, he worked in many occupations including as a sharecropper, a moonshine maker, and a
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King performed at national and international festivals but mostly played near his home, most notably as a regular at Bettie's
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King died from a heart attack shortly before his 66th birthday, near his home in the rural community of
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guitarist and singer, known for shunning fame and playing at a local bar in
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Living Blues 2000 Best Blues Album, Best
Contemporary Blues Album
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2003 Blues Artist of the Year, Best Song, Best Cover Art
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Alabama State
Council on the Arts 2004 Artist Fellowship
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Alabama Folk
Heritage Award (awarded posthoumously) 2009
542:"Click here to view the tribute page for WILLIE KING"
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Howlin' Wolf Hall of Fame
Inducted September 2, 2005
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63-minute documentary plus 40 minutes of live music
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517:"Legendary local bluesman Willie King dies at 66"
135:(March 18, 1943 – March 8, 2009) was an American
151:King was born in Prairie Point, a community in
515:Mamrack, Kristin; Jan Swoope (March 9, 2009).
171:, were the first of several acclaimed albums.
430:First episode of a seven-part documentary by
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690:Obituary which aired on Alabama Public Radio
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633:"Willie King, Bluesman, Is Dead at 65"
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750:20th-century American male musicians
613:. TuscaloosaNews.com. March 9, 2009
479:Living Blues 2001 Best Blues Artist
663:. Alabamablues.org. Archived from
159:. He later became active with the
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264:Walkin' the Walk Talkin' the Talk
745:20th-century American guitarists
695:News story at tuscaloosanews.com
661:"Willie King Memorial Home Page"
564:"Willie King Memorial Home Page"
271:With "Birmingham" George Conner
16:For the basketball player, see
1:
208:. King was also featured in
740:Guitarists from Mississippi
586:"Rural Members Association"
212:'s 2003 documentary series
153:Noxubee County, Mississippi
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730:American blues guitarists
301:Live with the Liberators
284:Rural Members Association
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735:American male guitarists
611:"Willie King dies at 65"
18:Willie King (basketball)
521:The Commercial Dispatch
414:: Feel Like Going Home
402:Directed by Jay Levey
590:Alabama Blues Project
546:Funeral-notices.co.uk
310:Living in a New World
161:civil rights movement
705:The Blues Foundation
700:Willie King homepage
317:With the Liberators
218:and Shout Factory's
446:Visible World Films
345:Freedom Creek Music
330:Freedom Creek Music
193:Willie King on film
157:traveling salesmans
122:www.willie-king.com
667:on August 15, 2014
552:on April 20, 2013.
326:Jukin' at Bettie's
566:. Willie-king.com
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59:March 8, 2009
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669:. Retrieved
665:the original
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643:. Retrieved
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615:. Retrieved
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593:. Retrieved
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568:. Retrieved
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550:the original
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524:. Retrieved
474:Living Blues
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61:(2009-03-08)
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725:2009 deaths
720:1943 births
392:Blues Story
226:Discography
220:Blues Story
183:Old Memphis
141:Mississippi
133:Willie King
66:Old Memphis
49:Mississippi
29:Willie King
714:Categories
499:References
202:Deep South
176:Juke joint
87:Occupation
41:1943-03-18
645:March 11,
526:March 15,
419:Universal
412:The Blues
215:The Blues
147:Biography
671:July 11,
617:July 11,
595:July 10,
570:July 11,
487:See also
427:DVD, VHS
382:Comments
341:One Love
254:Comments
90:Musician
377:Formats
187:Alabama
118:Website
70:Alabama
459:Awards
354:Videos
231:Albums
103:Labels
77:Genres
372:Label
367:Title
249:Label
244:Title
198:Dutch
137:blues
81:Blues
673:2014
647:2009
619:2014
597:2009
572:2014
528:2009
438:2007
423:Sony
407:2003
388:2003
362:Date
337:2006
322:2004
306:2002
276:2000
260:1999
239:Date
167:and
56:Died
35:Born
449:DVD
399:DVD
716::
635:.
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519:.
507:^
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39:(
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.