Claudette King, daughter of B.B. King, set to perform at Niagara Falls Blues Festival

Claudette King, daughter of blues legend B.B. King, will perform on Sept. 18 at the Niagara Falls Blues Festival

For the past five years, local singer Marsha McWilson has organized the “Gospel Brunch” as part of the annual Niagara Falls Blues Festival, but this year she’s extending her event and bringing in who may be one of the festival’s most noteworthy performers. 

Claudette King, daughter of the late blues legend B.B. King, will perform at the festival on Sept. 18. Following in her father’s footsteps “The Bluz Queen” has made her own name in the music business as a blues and jazz singer. After a solo performance, she will join McWilson, who will open for King with her tribute to Etta James, and the two will close out the festival together.

“B.B. King’s daughter called and asked if she can be in our blues festival,” an excited McWilson recalled. “I said, ‘yeah, of course!’ I’ll do Etta James around 5 p.m., (King) will go on around 6 p.m.” She added that they’d perform together sometime between 7 and 8 p.m. 

As can be expected from the child of B.B. King, his daughter has spent her life soaking up her father’s influence and that of her other favorite musicians. In her youth, she sang with her church and later continued to perform into adulthood.

King said she enjoys performing at festivals, and since she also does much of her own booking, she decided  to give the folks at the Niagara Falls Blues Festival a call to see if she would be able to make an appearance. She said that the warm welcome, accompanied by the respect she receives as the daughter of a music icon, has been “phenomenal” and reflects the legacy her father left behind. 

“I was always a vocalist throughout church when I was younger, but I didn’t start making it a professional thing until 2010,” King said. “I have another sister who was keeping (their father’s) legacy alive, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

However, while King has noted that her father certainly had a significant influence on her own musical career, she’s working to build her own reputation apart from her famous dad. In addition to the blues, King also performs selections that fall under other genres including R&B, country and rock. 

She referred to herself as the “Madonna of the Blues,” drawing a comparison of uniqueness between herself and the pop star. She noted that whatever genre her work is labeled as, she always brings something interesting to the table. She says each time she sings a song, she becomes a character that fits the persona of the piece. She said experimenting with different personalities led to an interest in acting. 

“When I sing the blues I become the character, and I wanted to do that, not just singing, but actually portraying a person and I got the opportunity to make that happen, God made it happen” King said. Right now she is primarily doing live theater acting, and added with a laugh that her next goal is to make it into the film industry. 

King, who has released a total of three albums, says each of her installments focuses on a different kind of music. Her latest, entitled “We’re Onto Something,” features a cover of an Etta James song, she said, and also features musical performances from James’ sons. She said pairing up with a musician like McWilson is a good fit. 

King, who will be visiting Niagara Falls for the first time, said she’s excited to experience a new place and meet new musicians and music lovers at the festival. McWilson said she is thrilled to perform alongside the daughter of one of the blues’ most legendary figures. 

Credit:  Mia Summerson, Niagara gazette