Marcus King
{{Short description|American blues musician}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Marcus King
| image =
| caption = Marcus King at Rockwood Music Hall (New York), september 2022.
| image_size =
| alias =
| birth_place = Greenville, South Carolina, U.S.
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|03|11}}
| instrument =
| genre = {{Flatlist|
| years_active = 2013–present
| label = {{hlist|Fantasy|American Recordings/Republic/Universal}}
| spouse = Briley Hussey (m. 2023)
| website = {{URL|https://www.marcuskingofficial.com/}}
}}
Marcus King (born March 11, 1996) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was initially known as lead singer, guitarist, and founder of The Marcus King Band.
His 2020 album El Dorado recorded under his own name received a nomination for Best Americana Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.{{cite web |author= |date=2021 |title=Grammy Awards Winners & Nominees for Best Americana Album |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/winners-nominees/273 |access-date=March 15, 2021 |website=Grammy.com |publisher=Recording Academy}}
Early life
Marcus King was born in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. His father, Marvin King, was a well-known blues guitarist in South Carolina who also played with gospel acts, and his grandfather was also a regionally popular musician. Marcus began playing guitar at a very early age, and at age eight he started playing shows with his father.{{cite web |first=Donna Isbell |last=Walker |url=http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/entertainment/2015/07/02/marcus-king-band-making-noise-national-scene/29612261/ |title=Marcus King Band making noise on national scene |website=Greenvilleonline.com |date=July 2, 2015 |access-date=August 22, 2018}} At age eleven, he played guitar on one of his father's albums. King started playing music with his own band in his teens, juggling club gigs at night and school in the morning as he and his bandmates brainstormed with what they called "soul-influenced psychedelic Southern rock."
Deciding to pursue a career in music, King dropped out of high school in his junior year and got his GED. King took an academic approach to music, studying his favorite guitar players, particularly The Allman Brothers Band co-founder Duane Allman, B.B. King, Albert King, Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard.{{cite web |first=Rudi|last=Greenberg |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2016/09/29/meet-marcus-king-the-20-year-old-guitar-phenom-who-jams-with-warren-haynes-and-derek-trucks/|title=Meet Marcus King |website=Washingtonpost.com |date=September 29, 2016 |access-date=September 29, 2016}} King studied jazz theory and jazz performance with Steve Watson at the Fine Arts Center in Greenville, South Carolina.{{cite web |url=https://liveforlivemusic.com/features/19-year-old-marcus-king-talks-family-friends-and-the-future-of-his-music-interview/ |website=Live for Live Music| title=19-Year-Old Marcus King Talks Family, Friends And The Future Of His Music | first=Shane |last=McFarland|date=2 February 2016 }} He received some notable early attention in 2014 after a video of him jamming at Norman's Guitars racked up millions of views on YouTube.{{cite web |url=https://www.reshareworthy.com/marcus-king-band-plays-in-store/|title=Shop Owner Catches Young Man Playing Guitar In His Store And Wants Him To Keep Playing|website=Reshareworthy|date=27 May 2015 }}
Career
In 2019, King announced his debut solo album, El Dorado, produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys at his Easy Eye Studio in Nashville. The album is a genre-bending release that was released on January 17, 2020, by Fantasy Records. On release, Associated Press declared “El Dorado already stands out as a definite high point of 2020.”{{cite web |first=Pablo|last=Gorondi|url=https://www.timescolonist.com/islander/review-marcus-king-stirs-soul-rock-country-on-el-dorado-1.24053524|title=Review: Marcus King stirs soul, rock, country on 'El Dorado'|website=Timescolonist.com|date=January 15, 2020 |access-date=January 15, 2020}}
On 26 August 2022, King released his second album Young Blood, again produced by Dan Auerbach. Melinda Newman of Billboard called it "a staggeringly confident work."{{Cite web |date=2022-08-26 |title=Blues Rocker Marcus King on the Despair & Salvation of 'Young Blood': 'I Didn't Think I'd Be Around For Another Record' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/marcus-king-interview-young-blood-1235131667/ |access-date=2022-09-02 |website=Billboard.com}} It debuted at number one in the Billboard Top Blues Albums Chart{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/blues-albums/|title=Blues Albums|date=January 2, 2013|website=Billboard.com|access-date=September 8, 2022}} and was ranked as the 12th best guitar album of 2022 by Guitar World readers.{{cite web |last1=Horsley |first1=Jonathan |title=The best guitar albums of 2022 |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/the-best-guitar-albums-of-2022 |website=Guitar World |publisher=Future plc |access-date=30 October 2024 |date=21 December 2022}}
Personal life
King married Briley Hussey in a lavish ceremony on February 19, 2023, at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tennessee.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}
Discography
=Albums=
- Soul Insight (2014)
- The Marcus King Band (2016)
- Carolina Confessions (2018){{Cite web |date=2018-11-30 |title=The Marcus King Band's 'Carolina Confessions' Brims with Stirring Lyrics and Conviction, PopMatters |url=https://www.popmatters.com/marcus-king-band-carolina-confessions-2621416700.html |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=www.popmatters.com |language=en-US}}
- El Dorado (2020) No. 142 US Billboard 200{{cite tweet|user=billboardcharts|number=1221980528754249728|title=Debuts on this week's #Billboard200 (2/2)|date=January 27, 2020|access-date=January 28, 2020}}
- Young Blood (2022){{Cite web |last=Windsor |first=Pam |title=Marcus King's New Album 'Young Blood' May Just Put Him On The Path To Rock & Roll Superstardom |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamwindsor/2022/08/31/marcus-kings-new-album-young-blood-may-just-put-him-on-the-path-to-rock--roll-superstardom/ |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=Forbes |language=en}}
- Mood Swings (2024){{Cite web |last=Scavo |first=Allison |date=2024-04-02 |title=Marcus King: Mood Swings Review |url=https://bluesrockreview.com/2024/04/marcus-king-mood-swings-review.html |access-date=2024-09-17 |website=Blues Rock Review |language=en-US}}
= Singles =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year ! scope="col" | Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album |
| scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| US AAA {{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/triple-a/2020-03-28|title=Adult Alternative Songs - March 28, 2020|magazine=Billboard|access-date=4 April 2020}} |
|---|
| scope="row" | "The Well"
| rowspan="2" |2019 | 12 | rowspan="2" |El Dorado |
| scope="row" | "One Day She's Here"
| 33 |
| scope="row" | "Hard Working Man"{{cite web |title=Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations |url=https://www.allaccess.com/triple-a/future-releases |website=AllAccess |access-date=May 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220502164210/https://www.allaccess.com/triple-a/future-releases |archive-date=May 2, 2022 |url-status=dead}}
| rowspan="2" | 2022 | — | rowspan="2"| Young Blood |
| scope="row" | "Blood on the Tracks"
| 30 |
| scope="row" |"Mood Swings"
| 2024 | — | Mood Swings |
= Other charted songs =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year ! scope="col" colspan="2" | Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album |
| scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| US Rock {{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/rock-songs/2024-12-07/|title=Hot Rock & Alternative Songs: Week of December 7, 2024|magazine=Billboard|access-date=December 3, 2024}} ! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| NZ |
|---|
| scope="row" | "Sucker"
| 2024 | 32 || 14 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://marcuskingband.com/}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Marcus}}
Category:American blues singers
Category:American blues guitarists
Category:American rock singers
Category:American rock guitarists
Category:American Southern rock musicians