John King

John Robert King (John) (October 13, 1953 – April 3, 2009) was a ukulele player known for his interpretation of classical music.

Early life and education The son of a navy pilot,

King's repertoire ranged widely, but he is particularly noted for his interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach. In 2008, the Journal of the Society for American Music called King "perhaps the world's only true classical 'ukulele virtuoso'".

Luthier Joel Eckhaus made King's "Strad Uke" modeled after one of the five Stradivari guitars.

King is featured in a short segment in the extras on the DVD release of Mighty Uke: The Amazing Comeback of a Musical Underdog, a 2010 documentary on the ukulele.

According to The Journal of the Society for American Music, John King is "the worlds only truly classical ukulele virtuoso".

Works King recorded two records and wrote several books of ukulele arrangements. He did extensive research into the history of classical guitar and the ukulele, writing numerous essays. He wrote an encyclopedia of Hawaiian luthiers. He was working on a history of the ukulele with Jim Tranquada at the time of his death which was published in 2012, The Ukulele: A History, published by the University of Hawaii Press.

Death King died of a heart attack at his home at the age of 55.