Christone Ingram

Christone "Kingfish" Ingram (born January 19, 1999) is an American blues guitarist and singer from Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States, who became a well-known performer as a teenager.

Christone Ingram was born to Princess Pride and Christopher Ingram of Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1999.

His mother is a first cousin to country musician Charley Pride.

His extended family sang and played music in church.

Ingram grew up attending gospel music performances, and while still young got up to join groups, though without any competency.

He listened to and learned from music by Robert Johnson, Lightnin' Hopkins, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, Prince and others.

Ingram has Asperger syndrome.

Ingram became interested in the blues around age 5 when his father showed him a PBS documentary about Muddy Waters, and at the same time promised they would go to the Delta Blues Museum to learn all about the music.

He was taught how to play by Bill "Howl -N- Mad" Perry and Richard "Daddy Rich" Crisman at the arts and education program of the museum.

Ingram also attended Clarksdale's Pinetop Perkins Workshop Experience held every summer.

Perry gave Ingram the nickname "Kingfish" after a character in the sitcom The Amos 'n' Andy Show.

Ingram started playing drums at age six.

By the time he was eleven he was playing bass and then he moved to guitar.

He appeared on the Rachael Ray and the Steve Harvey shows.

By the time he was fifteen, he had received offers to perform and for custom guitars.

Ingram described how he explained his interest in the Blues to his childhood friends who were interested in hip hop music: "They really thought it was funny, cause it was like "Man You Young but you listen to that old, sad stuff." I'm like, "Man, I ain't really like that, I'm listening more for a culture thing, you know?

This is history.

This birthed what you guys listen to today, because you know rap is nothing but the blues' grandchild."

In November 2014, as part of the Delta Blues Museum band he performed for Michelle Obama at the White House.

By 2015, he had caught the attention of Tony Coleman, who was BB King's drummer.

Coleman said he was playing blues the way it was supposed to be.

Bootsy Collins, who had been sharing his music online, commented on how a young child can influence others.

Ingram began playing gigs around his hometown while he was still in seventh grade.

Not long afterwards he had acquired a local fan base.

Local venues he played included Red's Lounge, Ground Zero Blues Club, the New Roxy, Shack Up Inn and the Delta Blues Room.

In June 2017, he played at the Jackson, Mississippi Underground 119 blues club which re-opened in spring 2017, after being closed since August, 2015.

The club's co-owner Michael Rejebian said the two kinds of bands you have to prepare for were show bands and party bands but with Kingfish, he was sort of the best of both worlds.

In August 2017, he was headlining on the second night of the 10th St. Louis Blues Festival.

The festival also included Jake Kershaw, the Chris O'Leary Band, Erin Coburn and Jim McCarty and Mystery Train.

In October that year, he appeared in an episode of Jazz Night in America which also featured Terry "Harmonica" Bean and Anthony "Big A" Sherrod.

Along with Gary Clark, Jr., he was a featured artist on Eric Gales' 2017 album, Middle Of The Road.

The May 18, 2017 issue of Billboard indicated that Luke Cage creator, Cheo Hodari Coker selected Ingram along with other acts to appear in a cameo role for the season two of the series.

In 2018 he performed at The Chicago Blues Festival.

Season 2 premiered on June 22, 2018, with Ingram appearing in episode 4, "I Get Physical", where he performed two songs "The Thrill is Gone" and "I Put A Spell On You".

In June 2018, he performed alongside hip-hop musician Rakim as part of NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concerts series, where he played "King's Paradise", "Paid in Full" and "Know the Ledge".

His debut album, Kingfish, was released in May 2019.

In addition to his own albums, musicians he has recorded with include Eric Gales, Buddy Guy and Keb Mo.

He has shared the stage with well-known blues artists and younger blues musicians such as the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Samantha Fish, Bob Margolin, Eric Gales, Mr. Sipp, Rick Derringer, Guitar Shorty and Buddy Guy.

His debut album, Kingfish, was released on Alligator Records on May 17, 2019.

It was produced by Grammy winning musician Tom Hambridge at Ocean Way Studio in Nashville.