MAKING MUSIC IS in Christone “Kingfish” Ingram’s DNA. His mother, Princess Pride, was a first cousin of the late country music barrier breaker Charley Pride. Ingram grew up playing and singing in church in Clarksdale, Mississippi. while soaking up the region’s rich blues heritage — not making any deals at the crossroads (at least none that we know about) but blending interests in blues, R&B, funk and country, and performing shows by the time he was in seventh grade.
From there, it’s been a non-stop ascent as Ingram, now 24, wowed audiences and older musicians alike. He played on Eric Gales’ 2017 album, , at the Chicago Blues Festival and. That was all before his own debut album, , came out in May 2019, hit number one on ’s Blues Album chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award. A second studio album, , came out in July 2021, and Ingram added stage appearances with Buddy Guy, Eric Gales, Samantha Fish, the Tedeschi Trucks Band and others to his resume. Says Guy, ”That kid is the future of the blues. He tells me that the blues is in good hands.
