Chris Thomas King (born October 14, 1964 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is an New Orleans Louisiana based blues musician and actor. October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Nickname: Motto: Authentic Louisiana at every turn Coordinates: Country United States State Louisiana Parish East Baton Rouge Parish Founded 1699 Incorporated 16 January 1817 Government  - Mayor Melvin Kip Holden (D) Area  - City  79. ... Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that typically follows a twelve-bar structure. ...

Chris Thomas King is the most famous and successful blues artist of his generation. He has won numerous awards including an “Album of the Year” Grammy and an “Album of the Year” Country Music Award. King has sold more than 10 million records in America including the phenomenal successes of “O Brother Where Art Thou?,” “Down From the Mountain” and “More Music From Ray” Soundtracks.

Chris Thomas King is the pioneer of rap/blues. He conceived of the first sample based blues concept album in the early '90s by writing and producing the first all rap/blues album for RCA titled “21st Century Blues… from the da hood.” The multi instrumentalist has continued to be the most innovative blues artist of the 21st Century with the cutting edge sounds of “Dirty South Hip-Hop Blues” and “Why My Guitar Screams & Moans.”

King is also the blues artist who has most influenced the hip hop generation. His music has influenced such artist as Nas, Rhymefest, and Bubba Sparks to name a few.

As an entrepreneur King took control of his master recordings in the early '90s, forming 21st Century Blues Records. He also established a publishing company Young Blues Rebel, LLC. This is significant because most black artists in the genre of blues have not succeeded at taking control of the business aspects of their careers. 21st Century Records signed the New Orleans Ninth Ward rap/blues duo the “21C-B-Boyz” and the London; England based “Nu Blues,” to 21st Century Blues Records in 2002.

As an actor King has co-stared in two of Hollywood’s most successful musical dramas of this century, “Ray” and “O Brother Where Art Thou?” He also starred in the Wem Wenders art house film “The Soul of a Man,” as Blind Willie Johnson. Ray is a 2004 biographical film focusing on thirty years[2]of the life of legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles. ... O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a musical comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, set in Mississippi during the Great Depression. ...

He has also appeared in several documentaries about the blues and about music:

• Last Of The Mississippi Jukes (2004)
• Lightning in a Bottle (2004)
• The Soul of a Man (2003)
• 22nd Annual W.C. Handy Blues Awards (2001)
• Down from the Mountain (2000)
• Inside Look: Down from the Mountain (2000)

He is the son of blues musician Tabby Thomas. The Soul of a Man is a 2003 documentary film directed by Wim Wenders as fourth installment of the documentary film series The Blues produced by Martin Scorsese. ... Down from the Mountain is a 2000 documentary and concert film featuring a live performance by artists who participated in the Grammy-winning soundtrack for the Joel and Ethan Coen film, O Brother, Where Art Thou? The concert, held on May 24, 2000 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee... Tabby Thomas Tabby Thomas (born Ernest Joseph Thomas, January 5, 1929; also known as Rockin Tabby Thomas) is an American blues musician from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. ...

Discography

Blue Beat (1984)

The Beginning (1986)

Cry of the Prophets (1990)

Help Us, Somebody (Single)

Simple (1993)

21st Century Blues... From Da Hood (1994)

Chris Thomas King (1997)

Red Mud (1998)

Me, My Guitar and The Blues (2000)

The Legend of Tommy Johnson, Act 1: Genesis 1900's-1990's (2001)

It's a Cold Ass World: The Beginning (2001)

Dirty South Hip-Hop Blues (2002)

Young Man Blues (2002)

The Roots (2003)

Why My Guitar Screams & Moans (2004)

Rise (2006)

External links

• Chris Thomas King's website
• Chris Thomas King at the Internet Movie Database