On Sunday, October 29 GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, whose new album Live In London is being hailed as an instant classic, appeared on CBS Television's flagship news program, 60 Minutes. In the 10-minute segment, Kingfish shared his thoughts on music, blues and life with reporter Jon Wertheim, as they walked through Kingfish's hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi. The segment also included jaw-dropping live performance footage.
60 Minutes said Kingfish is "a new blues superstar… a guitar phenom who has been updating the blues for this century...he draws frequent comparisons to Hendrix, Clapton, and, B.B.King….a thoroughly modern bluesman updating the music in sound as well as subject matter."
“I really appreciate the 60 Minutes team for allowing me an opportunity to tell my story and for also highlighting the greater connection of blues and Clarksdale,” said Kingfish. “Shining a light on our pocket of the world is important and I’m grateful for the platform the show has given me, my friends and my hometown.”
As the excitement continues to build around Kingfish worldwide, the young musician will appear on the hit BBC2 television program, Later...With Jools Holland in the UK this Saturday, November 4. He'll perform the blistering first single from Live In London, Midnight Heat.
Live In London first hit on September 15, as Kingfish surprised his legions of fans by dropping it at all digital services. The album was released as a 2-CD and a 2-LP set on October 13. Live In London was recorded on June 6, 2023, in front of a sold-out, standing-room-only crowd at the famous UK club, The Garage. It is the guitar-driven live album Kingfish’s fans around the world have been clamoring for since they first watched him perform on YouTube when he was a teenager.
Live In London debuted on the Billboard Blues Chart at #8 even though it was a digital-only release, and has since climbed to #2. Press has fully embraced the album, with positive reviews across the board. Rolling Stone named Kingfish among the world's greatest guitarists, saying, "Kingfish’s playing evinces not just a startling fluency, seamlessly integrating an entire century’s worth of licks, but also a freshness that can make it feel like you’re hearing a searing blues solo for the first time. He’s a rare 21st-century guitar hero, and the undisputed future of the blues.”
Radio has also been sharing in the excitement. Live In London's first single, Midnight Heat, was the #1 Most Added track on the Americana Radio Singles Chart and among the most added singles at AAA and college radio. Ingram appeared live in the UK on the BBC’s Radio 2 Blues Show with host Cerys Matthews.
“The response to Live In London has been amazing. From positive press reviews, people praising the record while chatting with me at shows, to an avalanche of wonderful social media posts and DMs, I am truly overwhelmed at how people have embraced my first live album,” says Kingfish.
Kingfish has released two videos from Live In London, the searing new Midnight Heat, and the driving, funky Hard Times, both available for viewing on his YouTube channel.
In addition to the 2-CD and 2-LP sets, Live In London is available at all streaming and download services, and can be experienced in Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos at Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal and Qobuz. Exclusive bundles of the LP and CD sets with official merchandise from the concert are available on the Kingfish website, along with his signature Fender Kingfish guitar.
