New Orleans music royalty Little Freddie King is turning 85, and the city is invited to help him celebrate in true blues fashion. The party kicks off Saturday, July 19 at 9:30 p.m. at BJ’s Lounge, one of the last great juke joints in town.

The night will feature Dr. Bones and the Bone Band, with fans, friends and members of Little Freddie’s extended musical family all expected to join the celebration.

OffBeat Lifetime Achievement Award-winning King made history in 1970 when he recorded the first electric blues LP in New Orleans alongside his Mississippi friend, Harmonica Williams. That record went on to become a classic in blues circles and helped define a sound that still resonates today.

Little Freddie King recorded the first electric blues album in New Orleans alongside his Mississippi-born friend, Harmonica Williams, in 1969. In 1976, he toured Europe with blues legends Bo Diddley and John Lee Hooker. Nearly three decades after his debut, King returned to the studio to release Swamp Boogie in 1996. His follow-up, Sing Sang Sung, was recorded live at the Dream Palace in the Faubourg Marigny and released in 2000.

A founding performer at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, King has graced the festival stage for over four decades. He is a member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame and has been named Blues Performer of the Year in New Orleans three times. His legacy was further recognized with a Mississippi Blues Trail marker in his hometown of McComb. In 2007, he teamed up with Alabama Slim to co-create The Mighty Flood.

Come raise a glass, dance it out and show some love to Little Freddie King who’s still electrifying stages at 85.