Blues guitarist Donald Kinsey on life and the blues

WKAR Public Media | By Current State

Published March 19, 2013 at 5:36 PM EDT

Legendary guitarist Donald Kinsey has been steeped in the blues since his birth. His father, Lester ”Big Daddy” Kinsey, brought him up on a solid diet of basement jam sessions and blues shows in clandestine joints in Gary, Ind.

At 17, Donald traveled the world as Albert King's lead guitarist. Later, he was captivated by a new sound, reggae. He played with Peter Tosh and was a member of The Wailers Band. Current State Weekend host Emanuele Berry discusses the past, the blues and the present with Donald Kinsey.

Related Content

'Ambassador' Guy Davis Takes Blues Around The Globe

NPR Staff

Davis discovered the blues in college, and now travels the world performing in places untouched by the blues, from Greenland to the Galapagos Islands. Known as "The Ambassador of the Blues," Davis talks about his new album, The Adventures of Fishy Waters: In Bed With the Blues.
That's 'Gnathia Marleyi' To You: Scientist Names New Species After Bob Marley

Eyder Peralta

It's the first new species to be described in the Caribbean in more than 20 years, but it's also a blood-sucking parasite.
'Another Thing': Singing The Housework Blues

All Things Considered and author/blogger Lenore Skenazy offer a weekly on-air contest to test your cleverness skills. The "Another Thing" contest takes a trend in the news and challenges you to help us satirize it with a song title, a movie name or something else wacky.

Sustain What Matters. Build What’s Next.

With federal funding eliminated, WKAR relies more than ever on community support to sustain essential services that remain freely available to everyone in mid-Michigan. Your support helps shape what comes next for public media in our region. The best way to support WKAR is by becoming a sustaining member today or by upgrading your current gift. Support WKAR TV Here | Support WKAR Radio Here.