Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

The YouTuber video captures, interviews and 60 Minute interview about this man are 100% accurate.  He is the truth. He is humble, nice, and the best guitarist I have seen live recently.

It is my birthday week. When I saw that he was scheduled to be playing in my area, months ago, I asked my connected daughter for the hookup.  I didn’t care if she could get the tickets or not, I was going to pay to see the Kingfish. He was worth the wait.

It reminded me of the time in my guitar journey I saw the late Danny Gatton, also a phenomenal guitarist.  This time things were different and yet the same.  I wonder now as I post this, how many of the same people were there. It was the 0930 Club and I was again in the balcony area. The crowd was more mixed than before. The music and sound were too loud but perfect for hearing loss. I had my hearing protection this time in a place where the bass felt like it was crawling up your sleeves.

What makes Kingfish good?

He earned his grammy’s and nominations legitimately. He is a talented blues musician that riffs equally the old and the new.  He can follow and lead effortlessly. His phrasing is unique and his timing even better. He has a good voice.  His smile is infectious. He can make the stanky face but it looks like more enjoyable that most that make it. He shares the stage liberally with others. As seen with him allowing the guy from Houston open for him.

The opening act went a little long for me, and although the guy is technically proficient, he didn’t do it for me. He is good though. Really self-confident. This guy was only 21 years old and did make me feel inadequate as a performer. I know comparison is the thief of joy but it still hit.

For a birthday event, it was awesome.  I went with my son, who drove me. I had dinner with him, and it gave me a break from being home. My daughter got me the best seats in the house. I wish she could have accompanied us.  I got a chance to purchase some overpriced Merch of a future legend. I picked up some tips on performing. I truly enjoyed myself.  The only thing that would have been better would be to hang out with Chris or share a biscuit. Maybe next time.

Thank you Kingfish.

PS.

I turned 62 this week. It’s a milestone. Filled out my paperwork for retirement benefits and will see how much scratch I will get to help this old man live.

After a week were I was sick and recovering from COVID (yeah, I finally caught it) this was all good.

“everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. Everybody wants to hear the truth but everybody tells the lie.”

Why don't people want to pay musicians?

I'm sure you've heard it before: "Music is free, man. Why should I pay for something I can stream online or download from a torrent site?"

Well, let me tell you why you should pay for music, and why musicians deserve to be compensated for their work.

First of all, music is not free. It costs money to produce, record, distribute, and promote music. Musicians have to pay for instruments, equipment, studio time, engineers, producers, managers, lawyers, and more. They also have to spend hours practicing, writing, rehearsing, and performing their songs. And they have to deal with the stress, pressure, and competition of the music industry. Do you think Beyoncé just woke up one day and decided to drop Lemonade? No, she worked hard for it. And she probably paid more for her lemonade than you did for yours.

Second of all, music is valuable. It enriches our lives, inspires us, entertains us, educates us, and connects us with others. Music can make us happy, sad, angry, or excited. Music can heal us, motivate us, comfort us, or challenge us. Music can express what words cannot. Music is a form of art, and art is priceless. Well, not literally priceless. You still have to pay for it. But you get the point.

Third of all, music is a profession. Musicians are not hobbyists or amateurs who do it for fun. They are professionals who dedicate their lives to their craft. They have skills, talent, and experience that deserve recognition and respect. They have bills to pay, families to support, and dreams to pursue. They have the right to earn a living from their work. And they don't get paid by the hour. They get paid by the song. And sometimes not even that. Have you heard of Spotify? Yeah, they pay peanuts.