Born and raised in Clarksdale, Mississippi – homeland of the Delta blues – Christone Ingram learned gospel music in the church where his family sang and played instruments. By age three, he was right there with them.
The blues were first engrained in Christone at five, when his father, Christopher, sat him down to watch Muddy Waters, Can’t Be Satisfied, on PBS. His mother, Princess Latrell Pride (d. 2019), did her share, too; a first cousin of groundbreaking country singer Charlie Pride, she fostered the boy’s interest in music by enrolling him in the after-school Delta Blues Museum Arts and Education Program, right there in Clarksdale. Just eight at the time, he first gravitated to drums, then bass; instructors Richard “Daddy Rich” Crisman and Bill “HowlNMadd” Perry taught him basics of the blues, and at 11 he was playing gigs, his four-string Esquire going into an Ibanez amp, doing various styles including hill-country songs by R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. Wanting to expand his repertoire and do his own thing, he began learning chords and blues on a Christmas-gift Epiphone 335 Dot. To say he took to it would be an understatement, and soon, “HowlNMadd” Perry dubbed the burgeoning prodigy “Kingfish” (borrowed from an “Amos ’N Andy” character), while instructor Travis Calvin showed him major seventh and ninth chords.
In 2019, Ingram (with financial backing from Buddy Guy) worked with producer Tom Hambridge on his first album, Kingfish. Released that May on Alligator Records, Guy played a bit on it along with Keb’ Mo’ and Chicago harmonica star Billy Branch. The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditionalist Blues Album and won Album of the Year at the Blues Music Awards.
In the summer of ’21, Ingram followed with 662, a more-personal set of originals that moved from straight blues to touches of R&B with closer-to-home songwriting. Touring included a U.K. run where he headlined the Red Rooster Festival in Suffolk. In ’23, his stops included the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest, BottleRock, Bonnaroo, and Clapton’s latest Crossroads Festival.
After tens of thousands of road miles and with a razor-sharp show, all signs pointed to the time being right for a live album.
“Fans have been asking for a live record for a minute because it’s a whole different experience,” Ingram said of his new disc, Live In London. “So, after the first two records did well and with a couple of singles, why not? I wanted to give fans what they wanted.”
Marinated in contemporary black gospel, the album was recorded in one night at The Garage last June in front of a sweaty SRO crowd. With Ingram on guitar and vocals, Paul Rogers on bass, Deshawn Alexander on piano/Hammond, and Christopher Black on the kit, it brings a blatantly stepped-up energy. In November, it was nominated for a 2024 Grammy Award in the Contemporary Blues category.
Ingram’s blues influences come from familiar names – Waters, Hooker, Wolf, Hopkins, House, Johnson, Collins, and King (Albert being his #1). Cited by world-renowned blues guitarist/impressario Bob Margolin for a sound that “…comes from his heart and his soul,” he is truly a product of the Delta and its legacy. We caught him gearing up to play two San Francisco shows in late September.
How did you decide to do Live in London at The Garage?
I came to my manager with the idea in February or March of 2023, and we wanted quick turnaround. So, we had to pick a show that was already on our schedule. The Garage being a historic venue, we thought, “Why not?” It was sold out and went well.
Talk about the band’s chemistry, especially on the long jams that really carry momentum. Even when things slow down, there’s a lot of energy.
We wanted to showcase the dynamics of the band and our performance. We don’t get a chance to do that in the studio, and that’s the full experience people talk about. A lot of it has to do with the arrangements we came up with. We definitely want a high-energy show.
How do you describe the way you play together?
It’s just great chemistry, and that has always been there because we all come from Mississippi, so there’s a bit of camaraderie. Everything has been locked and tight, most definitely.
DeShawn Alexander’s keyboards do their share…
Yeah, man, D’Vibes (laughs). He’s been in the band a year and a few months now. He’s definitely brought a new flavor to the sound. Funk, elements of R&B… all of that, for sure.
How did he become part of the band?
Well, the first year I did the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise, in 2017, he was there with Marcus King (VG, October ’22). That was my first time meeting Marcus and first time meeting D, and we kept in touch. When I parted ways with my last keyboard player, we were thinking of people to get, so I hit him up and asked if he was playing for anybody. He was like, “Nah,” and he’s been with us ever since. It’s been a real treat having him.
How about Christopher and Paul?
They’ve been with me since the beginning, when things started to take off. Paul has been with me since 2016, and Chris joined a couple months after him. Both are Mississippi guys, and they was playing with me on the blues circuit in Clarksdale. So they’ve seen the elevation.
Have there been some highlight shows?
We’ve done some great dates – we just did Crossroads in L.A., and I got a chance to jam there with the homies Samantha Fish and Eric Gales, and Robert Randolph and Gary Clark, Jr.
In the U.K., we did some sold-out shows and they were all great. We also just got off the road with Buddy Guy and Steve Miller – getting to meet Steve for the first time was dope, and any time being on the road with Mr. Buddy Guy is awesome.
Did you get to jam with them?
Oh, yeah, I always get to jam with Mr. Guy because I’ve been knowing him for a while now. Steve was a new experience for me, but I was put onto his music at an early age. Getting to watch him play “Fly Like An Eagle” and other hits was really dope.
Did you play along on “Fly Like an Eagle” (laughs)?
Man, I didn’t (laughs). But when we were done jamming, they went straight into that song.
What was that jam like?
Well, he’s connected to a lot of rich blues history, so he’d start on a T-Bone Walker tune or something. They were blues songs, but with his arrangements.
What’s a jam like with Buddy Guy?
Oh, Mr. Guy is unpredictable (laughs). He may bring you out on a shuffle, or he may bring you out on a slow blues. It’s hard to stay with him, so you really got to stay on your toes.
On the flipside, were they any horror stories from the tour?
Man, of course! The airline lost both of my guitars when we went to do Joe Bonamassa’s “Keeping the Blues Alive” cruise, so I had to do the whole thing with backline guitars. I didn’t get my own ’til we got off the boat and went home.
What were the backline guitars?
It was two Les Pauls – a goldtop and a Les Paul Custom, black with gold hardware.
Were you comfortable with them?
Yeah, I’m a humbucker guy, and before I really got deep into working with Fender, I was playing Les Pauls, so it was kind of going back home.
You started on a pretty nice guitar – the Dot 335 – but you also played Fenders quite a bit early on. How did you get started on one?
My first real Fender was an ’03 or ’04 Mexican Strat with a sunburst body, maple neck, maple fretboard, all that. A fan bought it for me after a performance in Clarksdale.
Then you went back to humbuckers, with an Epiphone Les Paul.
Yeah, I just love humbuckers. I’ve always been a fan of that sound from listening to Gary Moore and some of my other favorite players like B.B. and Albert King. I dibbled and dabbled in the Strat world and everything, but always found myself coming back to humbuckers.
On the cover of your first album, you’re holding a Fender Starcaster. Did you use that a lot?
Oh, yeah, man. The Starcaster has always been a very cool-looking guitar to me, and it sounded great. I haven’t played a vintage one yet, but the modern ones are really dope, like the Fender version of a 335.
What led you to play Michael Chertoff Les Pauls?
Well, after my first video went viral, I started getting attention, of course, had people reaching out for endorsements, and Mike was one. We talked for a full year before he sent me anything. That was 2016.
He’s right now working on another one for you.
Yeah, a 335-style, man. And I’m not going to tell the color yet because it’s really dope. I can’t wait to bring that one onstage, man!
When did you first try a Shawbucker Tele?
The first one I ever played was in Guitar Center, and I actually got from a friend when I first started working with him. That was my main guitar for a while. I retired it, but Shawbucker Teles are cool.
You’re now playing a new signature Tele Deluxe that has some cross-pollinated touches like custom-wound humbuckers, a stud tailpiece, a color they made just for you, and the large Strat headstock. Was that your idea or theirs?
Definitely mine. I’ve always been a fan of the ’70s-style headstock. I just think it looks really cool, and I didn’t get a chance to do it on the Custom Shop Strat [shown on the cover of 662] that I designed, so, I wanted to do one for this guitar.
Did you have them do anything with the neck shape?
I wanted a V shape because the Strat has one kind of like a baseball bat.
Also, it’s a stop-tail.
Right, so I can get some sustain for my vibrato, like the Les Paul. We designed the guitar during Covid, and all of those details were very meaningful. I wanted those pieces to make it all work.
What were you going for, sound-wise?
Well, the Chertoff Les Paul I was playing had pickups from a ’57 Classic, so that’s what I had in mind – a really hot, loose, rock sound. But I play in church, too, so I wanted to scale it back and get some clean tones, as well.
Is it what we hear most on the live album?
On a few songs it was a different guitar, but that’s the sound on the bulk of the record.
What else is in your road rack?
The goldtop Les Paul, and I used the Boxer Tele for a little bit before I got this one. Those are the three main guitars I’ve been juggling.
When you walk into a room with a bunch of guitars, which one do you grab?
You could say I’m one of those players who are into unique looks. If it has humbuckers I’m really drawn to it. I can’t play Strats onstage, but if I see a Strat that looks good, I’ll pick it up and jam on it.
How about something funkier, like a Vox teardrop?
Yeah, man. I was just in Nashville and I played this guitar made by Eastwood – it was like a curvy V. But the tone in it was great, man, humbuckers and all.
It felt good in your hands?
Oh, yeah!
There are a lot of different tonal flavors on the live record.
I always want a natural, overdriven tone – bassy and loud, especially with the overdrive; I’ve never been into high, trebly distortion. So, through the years, I’ve been through a bunch of different pedals. A Fulltone Soul Bender, and a Fulltone OCD. On the first record, I was using a ProCo Rat Mini distortion, then I started using a Marshall Super Shred.
How have your pedalboard and amps changed through the years?
For amps, I used Peavey at first, and still sometimes use them on the backline, but mainly I prefer a Fender Twin Reverb. And my pedalboard is constantly changing. I’m always on the hunt for a new tone, and now I’m using something totally different from the two records.
How often do you use backline amps?
If we’re driving, I’ll take my own. The last couple shows I did with Mr. Guy, I used the Deluxe. But most of the time it’s Fender Twins or a Deville.
Are you pretty quick to dial-in a tone you can work with?
Oh yeah, definitely. I have in mind what I want and I know what to turn to get there – Treble to about 6, Bass to 7, Mid to 5 gives me what I want.
When do you experiment with sounds – during soundchecks, on the road between gigs, at stores?
All of the above. If I’m back home, I go to my dad’s man cave; I can get loud there (laughs). But we stop at the music stores quite a bit on the road. That’s how I ended up using the Lil’ Rat; we stopped in a Guitar Center in New York and I tried it, then it stayed on my board for almost a year.
Have you lately seen a pedal you want to try?
Warm Audio just released some. I have their Klon copy, which is pretty dope, and now they make a copy of the Fulltone OCD, which I want to try for sure.
How does songwriting work for you?
For me, it’s all about feeling in the moment. Sometimes the music comes first, the lyrics comes second. Sometimes the lyric comes first, the music comes second. But I don’t have a regimen. It’s a feeling.
You’re not one who sits down and says, “Well, time to come up with a song…”?
Nah. For me, that makes the process hard. But, just hearing a phrase or something on TV or somewhere, I’ll think, “Oh! I could work with that.”
Blues songs, often dig into social issues, but they’re less often “activist.” But you’ve gone there with “Another Life Goes By,” “Hard Times,” and others that talk about racism and inequity. Those tunes, especially, feel more urgent when heard live.
Yeah. A lot of people don’t know that blues was originally protest music from the days of the Civil Rights movement and on back. Everything that’s going on in the world today – unnecessary wars with all these people getting killed, corrupt politicians, and everything else from the category of the blues… it’s all something we need to talk about.
What specifically struck the nerve that created “Another Life Goes By”?
Well, that song was written when the United States was in turmoil from the killings of Sandra Bland and Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. But it still speaks volumes because we still have that happening. Tyree Nichols in Memphis… Eric Garner. A whole lot of people who have lost their life at the hands of corrupt authority. That drew me to make it.
Another thing people will notice is the strength of your voice. Who do you credit as vocal influences?
Some of my favorite vocalists are Luther Vandross, Patti LaBelle, Erykah Badu, Nate Dogg. I’m into singers who have heavy, low vibratos. All of those singers do that for me – Teddy Pendergrass, Barry White; a lot of bass with that smooth edge.
When did you start singing?
My singing came before the playing did – age three, when I started to get interested in music, hanging around my family. My mom sang in church and my uncles played bass and sang. Once I learned how to play, I focused on playing. Then, when my teachers at the Blues Museum found out I could sing, I started to put the singing with my playing.
And now they’re an impressive one-two punch.
Thank you, man, but I just hope everybody’s enjoying the record. We put a bunch of different new arrangements and intros to the songs from the albums – jazzed them up a little bit, just to give everybody the full live experience.
Kingfish’s Off-the-Hook Axe
Currently co-starring on stages with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Fender’s Artist Signature Series Kingfish Telecaster Deluxe is a blend of traditional – an alder body, V-shaped/12″-radius maple neck, slab rosewood fretboard – with personal touches that cross-pollinate elements from other instruments he loves, like the control configuration, adjust-o-matic-style bridge, stop tailpiece, and oversized Strat headstock.
While not the first Tele with two humbuckers, these are custom-voiced Kingfish Signature pickups with custom logo, and they give Ingram flexibility beyond the norm; with his band, he needs them to deliver crunch for his top-gear blues-rock, but they also have to get clean with a touch of the Volume controls while retaining their shimmer. And when he’s back home, the guitar has got to sound right at Sunday service.
Other features include a custom etched “K” crown logo on the neck-pickup cover, custom neck plate, and Kingfish’s signature on the headstock. The exclusive Mississippi Night finish pays tribute to his home state – birthplace of the Delta blues.
Also, available as aftermarket adds, the pickups have nickel pole pieces, chrome covers without the logo, and use an Alnico III bar magnet in the bridge (8.75K), Alnico V in the neck (6.0K).
This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
