Catching up with Little Freddie King

Written by Cree McCree

The undisputed monarch of New Orleans down-home, gut-bucket blues, Music Maker artist Little Freddie King has snatched life from the jaws of death multiple times, surviving a litany of close calls over the course of his 85 years. But this past September, life threw him a couple of curve balls that really knocked him for a loop. First he suffered a debilitating bicycle accident that left him partially paralyzed and severely affected his guitar-playing fingers. Then the rent on his home in Musicians Village, built in the wake of Katrina, skyrocketed when it was sold to new owners.

Despite these travails, Freddie was in good spirits when I went to visit him at his home on Bartholomew St., where we were joined by his longtime drummer and manager Wacko Wade. A living museum bursting with memorabilia, outrageous stage wear and a world-class guitar collection that includes a custom Dr. Bones model, it was the perfect backdrop for the lively conversation that ensued.

We discussed everything from his forthcoming double vinyl album Live at B.J.s (Made Wright Records), recorded the night before his accident, to his plans to appear at this year’s Jazz Fest, with the help of a wheelchair and several fellow musicians. Fueled by the caffeine in Freddie’s drink of choice, Coca Cola, we bantered for a couple hours.

Edited for length and clarity, excerpts from our lively conversation follow.

Cree McCree: Your accident sounds really scary.

Little Freddie King: It was. When the paramedics pulled me out from underneath the bike they cracked both of my hip bones and my backbone. That’s why I can’t walk, you know, without a walker or a wheelchair.

CM: It also affected your fingers, right?

LFK: My poor hands are numb, but thank the good Lord I can move ’em some now. I can play a few notes with the first 3 fingers. The other two are still numb, but every day I get stronger.  I’ve been doing exercises, squeezing balls, and I can work my fingers much, much better. I feel like I will be able to play at Jazz Fest.

CM: Your relationship with Music Maker goes way back to 1998, right?

LFK: Yes. When Wacko first connected me with Music Maker I was living on Pauger Street in a house with a ceiling that leaked every time it rained. When the people sold it to me, they put some tar paper on top of the sheetrock and painted the house to make it look good. And when the first little storm came through it started leaking. They told me the house was only 40 years old and the man across the street said they ought to be ashamed of themselves. He said that house is 88 years old. And so Wacko called Tim Duffy at Music Maker, and they came down and fixed my house.

Then in 2005, after Katrina came through, and we was in Dallas, Music Maker bought me a brand new guitar and blessed me with some funds. That’s when Tim came down and we cut my first album: The Mighty Flood.

CM: Is that when you moved into the Musician Village, after Katrina?

LFK: Right, in 2007. It was built to bail out musicians when we came back. But now they’ve raised the rent… They didn’t notify none of the tenants that they was fixing to sell. Otherwise, I would have bought this joint. They pulled the rug out from under us. They just wrote and said hey, you got a new landlord.

Wacko Wade: And I said, Freddie’s grandfathered into this place, they built this place for him. And people like Bob French, right next door. Senior musicians in New Orleans, to keep the culture here.

CM: And Music Maker is paying your rent here for the next year. That’s a good start.

LFK: Such a blessing. I can’t never thank ’em enough. Music Maker has done a lot for me over the years. Tim used to buy my medicine for me. And he would book jobs for me in different places, that was a real good deed that he done. When he come down here, he’d stay here, and bring different people by the house for interviews. And I was glad to do it because of all the favors he did me. I really think a lot of Tim and his wife Denise. They are very good people, who have been good to me over the years.

CM: Wacko, you were actually instrumental in connecting Freddie with Music Maker, Wacko, in the early ‘90s right?  How did you know about Music Maker?

WW: I have no idea how I knew about Music Maker. [laughs] No. I was trying to get Freddie false teeth and a guy I know suggested I write to Music Maker and ask if they could assist us with paying for false teeth for them. So I took Freddie over to the LSU dental school and Tim picked up the cost for that. I think it was around 800 bucks or something. But anyway, Freddie put the teeth in his mouth and he didn’t like the way they looked. He said, I’ll go without them.

CM: Well, you have ’em in now, don’t you?

LKK: No, nothing in. See. [opens mouth]  What happened was I went back to the dentist  and he said, you gotta eat soft food and keep ’em in your mouth. And every time I go to eat the soft food, the teeth would jump up. And I couldn’t chew, couldn’t close my mouth. So when I went back and told him what was happening, he said all you gotta do is put some polygrip in there. So he put three drops, one in the back jaw and one in the front and the other jaw. And when I got home, got ready to eat, then they jumps out again. I said, I’m going to fix it just right. And sure enough, I did fix it just right. I took the polygrip, I went all the way around top and bottom. And when I slapped ’em in there, they was tight, like super glue. I said, oh boy, I got ’em now. [laughs]

I ate five, six times with the teeth in and I didn’t know the damage I had done until the next morning. The jaw bone was gyrating and hurting me so bad. So I reached up there to try to pull ’em out, and they was like cemented in there. For four days and four nights I had to suffer, and when the good Lord cut me loose, I snatched them out and threw them in the refrigerator [laughs]. They’re still back there.

CM: What can people expect when they see you in the Blues Tent at Jazz Fest?

WW: I got two guitar players that are learning his songs. He’s gonna sit in the chair with the mic and sing, and they’re gonna play the music behind him with his regular band: Robbie Snow, Bobby Lewis and me. The Jazz Fest people really want Freddie out there, and are going above and beyond to get him there. They’re building ramps so I can roll him up in a wheelchair, and sending an electric car to the parking lot to get him.

CM: I believe you played every single Jazz Fest since it started, except 1980, right?

LFK: You definitely right. Because in 1980 I couldn’t find anyone to take my place at work.

CM: Your fans are very excited to see you in the Blues Tent this year, where I plan to get there early to get a good seat. You also have a new album coming out, right?

LFK: Yes. Live at BJ’s  On Made Right Records. A double vinyl LP.

WW: It’s a really great recording, and the last show he played before he had his accident.

CM: Well, it’s not gonna be your last show ever. Even if you have to be sitting down, you got a lot more shows in you.

LFK: That’s the truth.