Chris Thomas King
‘The Greatest Blues Artist of his Generation’
About the Artist and Author
Born in 1962, guitarist Chris Thomas King became the last major folk blues discovery of the 20th Century when he was discovered in Louisiana in 1979 by a folklorist from the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. He was introduced to the world by the venerable folk label Arhoolie Records as an authentic folk-blues successor to Huddie Ledbetter, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, and Jelly Roll Morton.
King was chosen by the Coen brothers to play the role of itinerant bluesman Tommy Johnson alongside George Clooney in the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000).” Larger than life on the silver screen, Chris Thomas King, captivated audiences the world over. His authenticity as a folk-blues artist, by any measure, proved undeniable.
King has sold more than ten million records (unheard of for an authentic blues artist) and won numerous awards. Including an Album of the Year Grammy and an Album of the Year Country Music Award (CMA), superseding the success of his folk-blues predecessors.
Chris Thomas King has inspired a new generation of musicians such as Hozier, Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, and Gary Clark, Jr. His songs “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues” and “John Law Burned Down the Liquor Sto,’” to name a few, have been covered by many artists including blues legend Buddy Guy.
selected Discography
Selected Album Discography
1984 Soon This Morn’nin Blues (Single) (as Chris Thomas)
1986 The Beginning (as Chris Thomas)
1990 Cry of the Prophets (as Chris Thomas)
1990 Help Us, Somebody (Single) (as Chris Thomas) (also on Just Say Da compilation)
1990 Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye: A Tribute to Roky Erickson (1990) (as Chris Thomas)
1993 Simple (as Chris Thomas)
1994 21st Century Blues... From Da Hood (as Chris Thomas) 1997 Chris Thomas King
1998 Red Mud
1999 Whole Lotta Blues: The Songs of Led Zeppelin
2000 Me, My Guitar and The Blues
2000 O Brother, Where Art Thou? (movie soundtrack)
2001 Down from The Mountain
2001 The Legend of Tommy Johnson, Act 1: Genesis 1900s-1990s 2001 It's a Cold Ass World: The Beginning
2002 Dirty South Hip-Hop Blues
2002 A Young Man's Blues
2003 The Roots
2003 Along the Blues Highway (2003) with Blind Mississippi Morris
2003 Johnny's Blues: A Tribute To Johnny Cash
2004 Why My Guitar Screams & Moans
2004 Ray (movie soundtrack)
2006 Rise (2006)
2008 Live on Beale Street
2011 Antebellum Postcards
2012 Bona Fide
2016 Les Bleus Made in Louisiana EP
2017 Hotel Voodoo
Selected Movies as an Actor
2000 O Brother, Where Art Thou? as Tommy Johnson
2003 The Soul of a Man as Blind Willie Johnson
2004 Ray as Lowell Fulson
2008 Kill Switch as Detective Storm Anderson
Selected TV Series as an Actor
2010 Imagination Movers (Disney) - T-Bone Crosby-Out of Tunes ... T- Bone Crosby
2011 Treme HBO series - That's What Lovers Do
2016 Quarry HBO series - Blues Musician- Coffee Blues ... Blues Musician
Film Composer, Music Supervisor
2000 O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Feature movie)
2000 Down from the Mountain (Documentary)
2003 The Blues (Documentary) Blind Willie Johnson-The Soul of a Man
(2003) ... Blind Willie Johnson
2003 The Soul of a Man (Documentary) Blind Willie Johnson
2004 Last of the Mississippi Jukes (Documentary) 2004 Ray (Feature movie)
2004 Lightning in a Bottle (Documentary)
2005 Animal (Feature movie)
2005 WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour (TV Series) Himself- CTK ... Himself
2011 The Mechanic (Feature movie)
2014 The Expendables 3 (Feature Movie)
2016 Two Trains Runnin' (Documentary) 2016 Last Fair Deal
Does CTK tour with a band or solo?
Yes, and Yes. Chris Thomas King has assembled a new blues-rock band for 2024. But he will also tour solo acoustic. He has folk roots. He is America’s greatest folk-blues artist. What’s more, King also tours as an author, lecturer, and speaker.
