Eric Gales’ A Tribute to LJK Honors Late Brother with Explosive Blues-Rock and All-Star Guests
Memphis blues-rock titan Eric Gales is set to unleash A Tribute to LJK, a searing homage to his late brother Manuel Gales, aka Little Jimmy King, arriving digitally on August 29 and physically on October 24, 2025, via Provogue Records. Featuring heavyweights Buddy Guy, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Joe Bonamassa, Roosevelt Collier, and Josh Smith, this speaker-rattling album, co-produced by Bonamassa and Smith, delivers ten explosive covers of Manuel’s originals (plus one exception) with Gales’ unmistakable fire. The lead single, Somebody, featuring Buddy Guy and Roosevelt Collier, dropped with a dynamic video, premiered June 26, 2025, showcasing a generational bridge of blues mastery. “Eric Gales channels his brother’s soul into a blues-rock inferno—don’t miss this one,” raves Blues Rock Review, a quote perfect for Gales’ tour posters. With a career spanning over 30 years, a Grammy-nominated 2022 album Crown, and a slot on Ryan Coogler’s 2025 horror hit Sinners soundtrack, Gales is at his peak. Watch the Somebody video below, pre-order A Tribute to LJK at Provogue Records, and stream Somebody on Spotify.
Somebody: A Blues Anthem Bridging Generations
The album’s lead single, Somebody, is a “really dope song” that Gales chose to close the record, as he told Rock and Blues Muse. Featuring the legendary Buddy Guy—whose history with Little Jimmy King made his involvement a natural fit—and Florida’s “sacred steel” phenom Roosevelt Collier, the track starts acoustically, erupts into a full-throttle jam, and settles back down, per Gales’ description to Guitar World. The video, praised by @BluesMagazine on X for its “anthological vibe,” captures the trio’s chemistry, despite Gales and Guy recording separately, creating the illusion of a live, in-room session. “Buddy knew my brother, and they played together, so it was easy for him to agree,” Gales shared, crediting his wife LaDonna for the collaboration idea. The track’s call-and-response vocals and Collier’s overdriven steel guitar glissandos make it a standout, as noted by guitarworld.com.
A Tribute to LJK: A Brother’s Legacy Reborn
A Tribute to LJK is a deeply personal project, honoring Manuel Gales, who died of a heart attack in 2002 at age 37. Opening with a poignant spoken-word intro by Manuel’s twin, Danuel Gales, the album reinterprets nine of Little Jimmy King’s originals, plus one additional track, through Eric’s modern blues-rock lens. “This record has been a long time coming,” Gales told Blues Rock Review. “I wanted it to be the ultimate tribute to my brother, to keep his memory alive and make sure people remember who he was and still is.” Co-produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith at Curb Studios in Nashville, the album features an all-star cast with deep ties to the Gales family. Buddy Guy, who toured with Little Jimmy, guests on Somebody, while Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, who cites Manuel as a major influence, delivers blistering licks on Rockin’ Horse Ride. Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith shine on Don’t Wanna Go Home and It Takes A Whole Lotta Money, with Bonamassa also on You Shouldn’t Have Left Me. “I foresaw a great record, but I didn’t foresee it turning out as amazing as this,” Gales said. Pre-order digital, vinyl, or CD at Provogue Records.
The Gales Brothers: A Memphis Blues Legacy
To understand A Tribute to LJK, you must rewind to 1970s Memphis, where Eric, the youngest of five siblings, grew up in a guitar-slinging household. “Everybody played guitar,” he recalled to Rock and Blues Muse. Manuel, ten years older, was Eric’s hero, rising from local gigs to touring with Albert King’s band in the late ’80s and fronting Little Jimmy King & the Memphis Soul Survivors in the ’90s. Eric, a child prodigy, signed to Elektra Records at 15, releasing The Eric Gales Band in 1991 at 16. “I already felt this was what I was gonna do in life,” he told Blues Rock Review. Manuel’s sudden death in 2002 hit Eric hard, compounded by his own struggles, including a 2009 incarceration for drug and handgun possession. “It was my own decisions,” he admitted to Guitar World. Since then, Gales has soared, with Provogue releases like 2017’s Middle of the Road (featuring Gary Clark Jr. and Lauryn Hill), 2019’s Billboard #1 The Bookends, and 2022’s Grammy-nominated Crown, cementing his status as a blues-rock firebrand.
An All-Star Blues Ecosystem
The blues is an ecosystem, and A Tribute to LJK thrives on the respect commanded by both Eric and Manuel. Buddy Guy’s history with Little Jimmy made Somebody a heartfelt collaboration, while Kingfish’s admiration for Manuel fuels his fiery contribution to Rockin’ Horse Ride. Bonamassa and Smith, frequent collaborators with Gales, bring their production prowess and guitar chops, with tracks like It Takes A Whole Lotta Money showcasing their synergy. Roosevelt Collier’s sacred steel adds a unique texture, praised by bluesrockreview.com for its “overdriven glissando bow.” This all-star lineup, as @RockBluesMuse noted on X, elevates the album into a modern classic that bridges past and present.
From his teenage Elektra debut to his Grammy-nominated Crown, Eric Gales has redefined blues-rock with Hendrixian flair and raw soul. A Tribute to LJK is his proudest moment, a testament to his brother’s legacy and his own resilience. “My brother is there throughout this whole record,” Gales told Rock and Blues Muse. With its explosive covers, all-star guests, and emotional depth, the album is set to turn heads, as @BluesMagazine declared on X. Stream Somebody on Spotify, pre-order A Tribute to LJK at Provogue Records, and watch the Somebody video below to witness a blues masterpiece in the making.
