True to his name, Earl King was one of the kings of New Orleans R&B in the 1950s and '60s. A disciple of Crescent City bluesman Guitar Slim, King starting recording in 1953, and worked on the Savoy, Specialty, and Ace labels throughout the '50s. In the early '60s, King was a part of the vibrant New Orleans R&B scene centered on Imperial Records (Fats Domino, Dave Bartholomew, etc.). He later worked as a songwriter and producer for other New Orleans artists, writing classics like Professor Longhair's “Big Chief.”