King Alex born July 29, 1934

King Alex ( July 29, 1934 - March 15, 2008) was a Kansas City bass player and blues singer whose career spanned over forty years.

"King-Alex" Littlejohn was born during the great depression in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Soon after Alex and his family moved to Ferriday, Louisiana where Alex grew up. His father worked for the city, but he also played guitar, fiddle and sang. In fact his whole family was musical. Uncle White played piano and guitar. Aunt Maude sang and played guitar. Alex remembered the music they made at house parties and fish fries.

When Alex was 14 he came to Kansas City with his Uncle and Cousin and lived in the 18th and Vine district, where he loved to listen to Louis Jordan, Charles Brown, T-Bone Walker, Frank Sinatra and later B.B. King. Alex attended the Kansas City Conservatory of Music for a while and also took Bass lessons from Claude "Fiddler" Williams, an original member of the Count Basie band.

                                  

Alex got his first break on stage at a club in Kansas City on 5th Street. He went on to play the East-side clubs such as O.G.'s, Club Harlem, Club Mardi Gras and the Black Orchid. As King Alex and the Kansas City Turnpikes he recorded a couple of sides in the late 1950's for Spindle, including "Hutcia Cutchia Lovin' Man" as King Alex & The Untouchables.

He had a chance to go national, but had newly married, had a good job at the Tension Envelope factory, just bought a house and a car. His family came first, so for decades King Alex had been playing around Kansas City and the region, defining the tough Kansas City Blues sound.

In the 1970's Robert Locke (drums) and Dough Hemphill (guitar) joined the band. In 1994 Charlie Booth (organ) joined the group and they had two cuts on the Kansas City Blues Society's Bustin Loose CD. In late 1995 Alex released his first CD "Grindin' Stone". 1996 saw King Alex play the Blues Estafette in Utrecht, Holland and received rave reviews.

Although Alex enjoyed his re-found fame, he was still a regular working man, putting in 40 hours a week at the envelope factory, which was perhaps a part of hiss appeal. More CD's followed "Hot As A Coffee Pot" (1997), "Sugar Bowl" (2001).  In 2002 returned to Europe for a three week tour. That year he was inducted into the Elder Statesmen of Kansas City Jazz along with former employer and life-long friend Richard "Dick" Berkley. He then decided to cut a greatest hits CD, "The Cream Of King Alex", covering over forty years of his song writing, o which Alex's rich vocals are complimented by his powerful band, The Untouchables. Heading the 2003 Kansas City Blues Festival, he was honoured for his many years of dedication. In 2004 he performed at the Poconos Blues Festival.

During his career Alex had played with B.B. King, Albert Collins, Claude "Fiddler" Williams and Little Hatch, to name but a few. He continued to play and sing the blues until his passing on March 15, 2008.

(Edited from CD liner notes)