Bnois King (born January 21, 1943) (pronounced "buh-noise")[1][2] is a Texas Blues and Jazz guitar player, vocalist, and composer.

[2] While still in high school, James Moody, the owner and bandleader of a 20-piece big band out of New Orleans (called "The New Sounds"), took him under his wing and gave him his first paying gig, for which King made $15.

I knew right then I wasn't going to run behind a milk truck getting chased by dogs any more..." —Bnois King[2] After high school, King traveled to west Texas (Amarillo), Colorado and Oklahoma, and finally settled in north Texas (Wichita Falls) while trying to break into the music industry and make a career from it.

[5] Struggling at first in the industry, King sometimes found himself playing at carnival side shows or working 'straight jobs' (such as detailing cars at a dealership).

[2] It was in Dallas that King met, and thereafter periodically teamed up with, electric blues guitarist Smokin' Joe Kubek, starting in 1989.

[2][6] King was exposed to gospel music at an early age, but leaned more towards the blues and (especially) jazz, which he listened to on the radio while growing up.

[2] Building a repertoire from old, neglected blues genre songs (such as from the likes of Jimmy Reed and Freddie King), the duo found a ready audience for Bnois King's laid-back vocalizations and rhythm guitar playing, and Kubek's hard-playing blues style.

We needed songs so I wrote about things that happened to me, to people I knew..."[5] Audiences enjoyed the blending of the two's very different playing styles.