Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram is bridging the generational gap in blues. At just 26, he continues to lead the new school of blues players – proving to naysayers that the genre is as relevant than ever.
His cameo in Michael B. Jordan's Sinners says it all. The movie finishes with Ingram playing alongside Buddy Guy – a visual representation of the veteran and the rising star truly keeping the blues alive.
“I was mentored by older people who helped me with my songwriting and playing,” Ingram tells The Guardian.
“Blues isn’t just a guy with a guitar – it’s a feeling, and rap can be blues. See, blues is the foundation of so much American music – jazz and soul and rock and rap – but people tend to narrow it down to a guy with a guitar. I might be a guy with a guitar, but it’s more than just this.”
Hard times growing up pushed Ingram to immerse himself fully in the genre, which his classmates found odd.
“Everyone was into rap and R&B and, while I didn’t get bullied, they would ask me: ‘Do you really like that old music?’ I’d tell them: ‘Yeah, I do. You should check it out.’ Maybe they now are!” he adds with a laugh.
“I learned a lot in church as a child – my mom’s side of the family are all church people and gospel is a great teacher.”
Ingram's next-gen star status was recently solidified by the fact that he just landed his second signature guitar – a new-look Delta Day version of his original Telecaster Deluxe.
