When a musician of Earl King's stature dies, the funeral service is often a homecoming of New Orleans musical artists, a chance for people who haven't seen each other in years to reunite, an opportunity for folks whose working hours are after dark to meditate on mortality in the broad daylight.

At Gallier Hall, on April 30, 2003, the day of Earl King's funeral, the building was packed with local music legends. Earl's four handsome sons—Derek, Earl, Erroll and Tyrone Johnson—sat...