B.B. King

Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known by his stage name B.B. King, was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

B.B. King From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ambox current red.svg This article is about a person who has recently died. Some information, such as the circumstances of the person's death and surrounding events, may change as more facts become known. Initial news reports may be unreliable. B.B. King B.B. King in 2009.jpg King at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, 2009 Background information Birth name Riley B. King Born September 16, 1925 near Itta Bena, Mississippi, U.S. Died May 14, 2015 (aged 89) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Genres Blues, R&B, electric blues, blues rock[1] Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, record producer Instruments Vocals, guitar, piano Years active 1948–2015 Labels Geffen/Interscope/Universal, Bullet Records, RPM Records, Crown, ABC, MCA, Reprise/Warner Bros., Virgin/EMI Associated acts Bobby Bland, Eric Clapton, U2 Website www.bbking.com Notable instruments Gibson ES-355 "Lucille" Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known by his stage name B.B. King, was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No. 6 on its 2011 list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time (previously ranked No. 3 in the 2003 edition of the same list),[2] and he was ranked No. 17 in Gibson's "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time".[3] According to Edward M. Komara, King "introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending and shimmering vibrato that would influence virtually every electric blues guitarist that followed."[4] King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. King was also inducted into 2014 class of the R&B Music Hall of Fame. He is considered one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, earning the nickname "The King of Blues", and one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert King and Freddie King).[5][6][7] King was also known for performing tirelessly throughout his musical career, appearing at more than 200 concerts per year on average into his 70s.[8] In 1956, he reportedly appeared at 342 shows.[9]

In 1990, King was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President George H.W. Bush.[10] In 2006, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush.[11] He is widely regarded as one of the most influential blues guitarists of all time, inspiring countless other electric blues and blues rock guitarists.[12]

Contents [hide] 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 1949–2005 2.2 2006–2015: farewell tour and later activities 3 Equipment 4 B.B. King's Blues Club 5 Philanthropy 6 Television and other appearances 6.1 Commercials 7 Personal life 8 Illness and death 9 Discography 10 Honors and awards 10.1 Grammy Awards 11 See also 12 References 13 External links Early life[edit] Riley B. King was born on September 16, 1925,[12] on a cotton plantation near the town of Itta Bena, Mississippi,[13][12] the son of sharecroppers Albert and Nora Ella King.[13] He considered the nearby city of Indianola, Mississippi to be his home.[14] When Riley was 4 years old, his mother left his father for another man, and the boy was raised by his maternal grandmother, Elnora Farr, in Kilmichael, Mississippi.[13]

While young, King sang in the gospel choir at Elkhorn Baptist Church in Kilmichael. It seems that at the age of 12, he purchased his first guitar for $15.00,[13] although another source indicates he was given his first guitar by Bukka White, his mother's first cousin (King's grandmother and White's mother were sisters).[15] In 1943, King left Kilmichael to work as a tractor driver and play guitar with the Famous St. John's Quartet of Inverness, Mississippi, performing at area churches and on WGRM in Greenwood, Mississippi.[16][17]

In 1946, King followed Bukka White to Memphis, Tennessee. White took him in for the next ten months.[13] However, King shortly returned to Mississippi, where he decided to prepare himself better for the next visit, and returned to West Memphis, Arkansas, two years later in 1948. He performed on Sonny Boy Williamson's radio program on KWEM in West Memphis, where he began to develop an audience. King's appearances led to steady engagements at the Sixteenth Avenue Grill in West Memphis and later to a ten-minute spot on the Memphis radio station WDIA.[18] The radio spot became so popular, it was expanded and became the Sepia Swing Club.[19]

Initially he worked at WDIA as a singer and disc jockey, gaining the nickname Beale Street Blues Boy, which was later shortened to Blues Boy and finally to B.B.[20][21][22] It was there that he first met T-Bone Walker. King said, "Once I'd heard him for the first time, I knew I'd have to have [an electric guitar] myself. 'Had' to have one, short of stealing!"[23]

Career[edit] 1949–2005[edit] In 1949, King began recording songs under contract with Los Angeles-based RPM Records. Many of King's early recordings were produced by Sam Phillips, who later founded Sun Records. Before his RPM contract, King had debuted on Bullet Records by issuing the single "Miss Martha King" (1949), which did not chart well. "My very first recordings [in 1949] were for a company out of Nashville called Bullet, the Bullet Record Transcription company," King recalled. "I had horns that very first session. I had Phineas Newborn on piano; his father played drums, and his brother, Calvin, played guitar with me. I had Tuff Green on bass, Ben Branch on tenor sax, his brother, Thomas Branch, on trumpet, and a lady trombone player. The Newborn family were the house band at the famous Plantation Inn in West Memphis."[24]

Performing with his famous guitar, Lucille King assembled his own band; the B.B. King Review, under the leadership of Millard Lee. The band initially consisted of Calvin Owens and Kenneth Sands (trumpet), Lawrence Burdin (alto saxophone), George Coleman (tenor saxophone),[25] Floyd Newman (baritone saxophone), Millard Lee (piano), George Joyner (bass) and Earl Forest and Ted Curry (drums). Onzie Horne was a trained musician elicited as an arranger to assist King with his compositions. By his own admission, King could not play chords well and always relied on improvisation.[26]

King's recording contract was followed by tours across the United States, with performances in major theaters in cities such as Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit and St. Louis, as well as numerous gigs in small clubs and juke joints of the Southern United States. During one show in Twist, Arkansas, a brawl broke out between two men and caused a fire. King evacuated along with the rest of the crowd, but he went back to retrieve his guitar. He said he later found out that the two men, who died in the blaze, were fighting over a woman named Lucille. He named the guitar Lucille as a reminder not to fight over women, or run into any more burning buildings.[27][28][29]

Following his first Billboard Rhythm and Blues charts number one, "3 O'Clock Blues" (February 1952),[30] B.B. King became one of the most important names in R&B music in the 1950s, amassing an impressive list of hits[22] including "You Know I Love You", "Woke Up This Morning", "Please Love Me", "When My Heart Beats like a Hammer", "Whole Lotta Love", "You Upset Me Baby", "Every Day I Have the Blues", "Sneakin' Around", "Ten Long Years", "Bad Luck", "Sweet Little Angel", "On My Word of Honor", and "Please Accept My Love". This led to a significant increase in his weekly earnings, from about $85 to $2,500,[31] with appearances at major venues such as the Howard Theater in Washington and the Apollo in New York, as well as touring the entire "Chitlin' circuit". 1956 became a record-breaking year, with 342 concerts booked and three recording sessions.[32] That same year he founded his own record label, Blues Boys Kingdom, with headquarters at Beale Street in Memphis. There, among other projects, he produced artists such as Millard Lee and Levi Seabury.[14] In 1962, King signed to ABC-Paramount Records, which was later absorbed into MCA Records, and which itself was later absorbed into Geffen Records. In November 1964, King recorded the Live at the Regal album at the Regal Theater in Chicago, Illinois.[33]

B.B. King in concert in France 1989 King gained further visibility among rock audiences as an opening act on The Rolling Stones' 1969 American Tour.[34] He won a 1970 Grammy Award for the song "The Thrill Is Gone";[35] his version became a hit on both the pop and R&B charts. It also gained the number 183 spot in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[36]

King was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980, and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.[8][37] In 2004, he was awarded the international Polar Music Prize, given to artists "in recognition of exceptional achievements in the creation and advancement of music."[38]

King performing in New York in the late 1980s From the 1980s to his death in 2015, he maintained a highly visible and active career, appearing on numerous television shows and performing 300 nights a year. In 1988, King reached a new generation of fans with the single "When Love Comes to Town", a collaborative effort between King and the Irish band U2 on their Rattle and Hum album.[33] In 1998, he appeared in The Blues Brothers 2000, playing the part of the lead singer of the Louisiana Gator Boys, along with Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Koko Taylor and Bo Diddley. In 2000, he and Clapton teamed up again to record Riding With the King, which won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.[39]

2006–2015: farewell tour and later activities[edit] In 2006, King went on a "farewell" world tour, although he remained active afterward during the last years of his life.[40] The tour was partly supported by Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore, with whom King had previously toured and recorded, including the song "Since I Met You Baby". It started in the United Kingdom, and continued with performances in the Montreux Jazz Festival and in Zürich at the Blues at Sunset. During his show in Montreux at the Stravinski Hall he jammed with Joe Sample, Randy Crawford, David Sanborn, Gladys Knight, Lella James, Andre Beeka, Earl Thomas, Stanley Clarke, John McLaughlin, Barbara Hendricks and George Duke.[41]

B.B. King at Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, Ontario, May 2007 In June 2006, King was present at a memorial of his first radio broadcast at the Three Deuces Building in Greenwood, Mississippi, where an official marker of the Mississippi Blues Trail was erected. The same month, a groundbreaking was held for a new museum, dedicated to King.[42] in Indianola, Mississippi.[43] The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center opened on September 13, 2008.[44]

In late October 2006, King recorded a concert album and video entitled B.B. King: Live at his B.B. King Blues Clubs in Nashville and Memphis. The four-night production featured his regular B.B. King Blues Band and captured his show as he performed it nightly around the world. Released in 2008, it was his first live performance recording in over a decade.[45]

In 2007, King played at Eric Clapton's second Crossroads Guitar Festival[46] and contributed the songs "Goin' Home", to Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino (with Ivan Neville's DumpstaPhunk)[47] and "One Shoe Blues" to Sandra Boynton's children's album Blue Moo, accompanied by a pair of sock puppets in a music video for the song.[48]

European Tour 2009, Vienna, July 2009 In the summer of 2008, King played at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, where he was given a key to the city.[49] Also in 2008, he was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame.[50]

King performed at the Mawazine festival in Rabat, Morocco, on May 27, 2010.[51] In June 2010, King performed at the Crossroads Guitar Festival with Robert Cray, Jimmie Vaughan, and Eric Clapton.[52] He also contributed to Cyndi Lauper's album Memphis Blues, which was released on June 22, 2010.[53]

President Barack Obama and B.B. King singing "Sweet Home Chicago" on February 21, 2012 In 2011, King played at the Glastonbury Music Festival,[54] and in the Royal Albert Hall in London, where he recorded a concert video.[55]

On February 21, 2012, King was among the performers of "In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues", during which President Barack Obama sang part of "Sweet Home Chicago".[56] King recorded for the debut album of rapper and producer Big K.R.I.T., who also hails from Mississippi.[57] On July 5, 2012, King performed a concert at the Byblos International Festival in Lebanon.[58]

On May 26, 2013, King appeared at the New Orleans Jazz Festival.[59]

On October 3, 2014, not feeling well enough, King had to stop his live performance at the House of Blues in Chicago, Illinois. A doctor diagnosed with dehydration and suffering from exhaustion. Hence, the eight remaining shows of his ongoing tour had be cancelled.[60][61]

Equipment[edit] For more information about King's guitar, see Lucille (guitar). "When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille."[62]

—B.B. King B.B. King used simple equipment. He played guitars made by various manufacturers early in his career: he played a Fender Telecaster on most of his recordings with RPM Records (USA).[63] However, he was best known for playing variants of the Gibson ES-355. In 1980 Gibson Guitar Corporation launched the B.B. King Lucille model. In 2005 Gibson made a special run of 80 Gibson Lucilles, referred to as the "80th Birthday Lucille", the first prototype of which was given as a birthday gift to King, and which he used ever since.[64]

King used a Lab Series L5 2x12" combo amplifier and had been using this amplifier for a long time. It was made by Norlin Industries for Gibson in the 1970s and 1980s. Other popular L5 users are Allan Holdsworth and Ty Tabor of King's X. The L5 has an onboard compressor, parametric equalization, and four inputs. King also used a Fender Twin Reverb.[65]

He used his signature model strings "Gibson SEG-BBS B.B. King Signature Electric Guitar Strings" with gauges: 10-13-17p-32w-45w-54w and D'Andrea 351 MD SHL CX (Medium .71mm, Tortoise Shell, Celluloid) Picks.[65]

B.B. King's Blues Club[edit]

Sign outside B.B. King's Blues Club on Beale Street, Memphis In 1991, B.B. King's Blues Club opened on Beale Street in Memphis, and in 1994, a second club was launched at Universal City Walk in Los Angeles. A third club in New York City's Times Square opened in June 2000. Two further clubs opened at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut in January 2002[66] and another in Nashville in 2003.[67] Another club opened in Orlando in 2007.[68] A club in West Palm Beach opened in the fall of 2009[69] and an additional one, based in the Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas, opened in the winter of 2009.[70]

Philanthropy[edit] In 2002, King signed on as an official supporter of Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and instruction to children in underprivileged public schools throughout the United States. He sat on LKR's Honorary Board of Directors.[71]

Television and other appearances[edit] B.B. King made guest appearances in numerous popular television shows, including The Cosby Show, The Young and the Restless, General Hospital,[72] The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Sesame Street,[73] Married... with Children, Sanford and Son, and Touched by an Angel. He also had a cameo in the movie Spies Like Us.[74] He voiced a character in the last episode of Cow and Chicken.[75]

In 2000, the children's show Between The Lions featured a singing character named "B.B. the King Of Beasts", modeled on the real King.[76]

A feature documentary about B.B. King narrated by Morgan Freeman, and directed by Jon Brewer was released on October 15, 2012.[77]

Commercials[edit] King, who was also a diabetic, appeared in several television commercials for OneTouch Ultra in the 2000s and early 2010s.[78]

King appeared in a 2014 commercial for the Toyota Camry with his guitar Lucille.[79]

Personal life[edit] King was married twice, to Martha Lee Denton, 1946 to 1952, and to Sue Carol Hall, 1958 to 1966. Both marriages ended because of the heavy demands made on the marriage by King's 250 performances a year.[13] It is reported that he has fathered 15 children and, as of 2004, had 50 grandchildren.[13] He lived with Type II diabetes for over 20 years and was a high-profile spokesman in the fight against the disease, appearing in advertisements for diabetes-management products along with American Idol season 9 contestant Crystal Bowersox.[41][80]

King was an FAA certificated Private Pilot and learned to fly in 1963 at what was then Chicago Hammond Airport in Lansing, Illinois.[81][82] He frequently flew to gigs, but under the advice of his insurance company and manager in 1995, King was asked to fly only with another certificated pilot; and as a result, King stopped flying around the age of 70.[83]

External video

Oral History, B.B. King reflects on his greatest musical influences. interview date August 3, 2005, NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Oral History Library His favorite singer was Frank Sinatra. In his autobiography King spoke about how he was a "Sinatra nut" and how he went to bed every night listening to Sinatra's classic album In the Wee Small Hours. King credited Sinatra for opening doors to black entertainers who were not given the chance to play in "white-dominated" venues; Sinatra got B.B. King into the main clubs in Las Vegas during the 1960s.[84][page needed]

Illness and death[edit] On May 1, 2015, after two hospitalizations caused by complications from high blood pressure and diabetes, King announced on his website that he was in hospice care at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada.[85] Two weeks later, King died on May 14 at 9:40 P.M. PST at his home in Las Vegas.[86][87]

Discography[edit] Main article: B.B. King discography Studio albums Singin' the Blues (1957) The Blues (1958) B.B. King Wails (1959) King of the Blues (1960) Sings Spirituals (1960) The Great B.B. King (1960) My Kind of Blues (1961) Blues For Me (1961) Blues in My Heart (1962) Easy Listening Blues (1962) B.B. King (1963) Mr. Blues (1963) Confessin' the Blues (1966) Blues on Top of Blues (1968) Lucille (1968) Live & Well (1969) Completely Well (1969) Indianola Mississippi Seeds (1970) B.B. King in London (1971) L.A. Midnight (1972) Guess Who (1972) To Know You Is to Love You (1973) Friends (1974) King Size (1977) Midnight Believer (1978) Take It Home (1979) There Must Be a Better World Somewhere (1981) Love Me Tender (1982) Blues 'N' Jazz (1983) Six Silver Strings (1985) King of the Blues: 1989 (1988) There Is Always One More Time (1991) Blues Summit (1993) Lucille & Friends (1995) Deuces Wild (1997) Blues on the Bayou (1998) Let the Good Times Roll (1999) Makin' Love Is Good for You (2000) Riding with the King (2000, with Eric Clapton) A Christmas Celebration of Hope (2001) Reflections (2003) B. B. King & Friends: 80 (2005) One Kind Favor (2008) Honors and awards[edit]

B.B. King receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W. Bush In 1977, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music by Yale University[citation needed] In 1980, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.[88] In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.[89] In 1990, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts.[90] In 1991, he was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship from the NEA.[91]

A commemorative guitar pick honoring "B.B. King Day" in Portland, Maine. King was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors in 1995. This is given to recognize "the lifelong accomplishments and extraordinary talents of our nation's most prestigious artists."[92] In 2004, the Royal Swedish Academy of Music awarded him the Polar Music Prize for his "significant contributions to the blues".[38] On December 15, 2006, President George W. Bush awarded King the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[93] On May 27, 2007, King was awarded an honorary doctorate in music by Brown University.[94] On May 14, 2008, King was presented with the keys to the city of Utica, New York; and on May 18, 2008, the mayor of Portland, Maine, Edward Suslovic, declared the day "B.B. King Day" in the city. Prior to King's performance at the Merrill Auditorium, Suslovic presented King with the keys to the city.[95] In 2009, Time named B.B. King No.3 on its list of the 10 best electric guitarists.[96] Each year during the first week in June, a B.B. King Homecoming Festival is held in Indianola, Mississippi.[97] A Mississippi Blues Trail marker was added for B.B. King, commemorating his birthplace.[98] On May 29, 2010, Sabrosa Park (at the small town of Sabrosa, north of Portugal) was renamed B.B. King Park in honor of King and the free concert he played before 20,000 people.[citation needed] Grammy Awards[edit] Years reflect the year in which the Grammy was awarded, for music released in the previous year.

1971: Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "The Thrill Is Gone". 1982: Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording for "There Must Be a Better World Somewhere". 1984: Best Traditional Blues Recording for "Blues 'n Jazz". 1986: Best Traditional Blues Recording for "My Guitar Sings the Blues". 1991: Best Traditional Blues Recording for "Live at San Quentin". 1992: Best Traditional Blues Album for "Live at the Apollo". 1994: Best Traditional Blues Album for "Blues Summit". 1997: Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "SRV Shuffle". 2000: Best Traditional Blues Album for "Blues on the Bayou". 2001: Best Traditional Blues Album for "Riding with the King". 2001: Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Is You or Is You Ain't (Baby)". 2003: Best Traditional Blues Album for "A Christmas Celebration of Hope". 2003: Best Pop Instrumental Performance for "Auld Lang Syne". 2006: Best Traditional Blues Album for "80". 2009: Best Traditional Blues Album for "One Kind Favor". King was given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987.[99]

A Grammy Hall of Fame Award was given to "The Thrill is Gone" in 1998, an award given to recordings that are at least 25 years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance".[100]

See also[edit] List of honorific titles in popular music List of nicknames of blues musicians References[edit] Jump up ^ Adelt, Ulrich (2010). Blues Music in the Sixties: A Story in Black and White. Rutgers University Press. pp. 24 and 26. ISBN 978-0-8135-4750-3. Jump up ^ "100 Greatest Guitarists". Rolling Stone. 2011-11-23. Retrieved 2015-05-15. Jump up ^ "Gibson.com Reveals Top 50 Guitarists, Plus Readers Poll Results". Gibson.com. 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2015-05-15. Jump up ^ Komara, Edward M. Encyclopedia of the Blues, Routledge, 2006, p. 385. Jump up ^ Trovato, Steve. "Three Kings of Blues". Hal Leonard. Retrieved March 12, 2013. Jump up ^ Leonard, Michael. "3 Kings of the Blues". Gibson. Retrieved March 12, 2013. Jump up ^ "Happy Birthday to "The Velvet Bulldozer" Albert King". WCBS FM. CBS. April 25, 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2013. ^ Jump up to: a b "B.B. King Biography". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "Blues guitarist B.B. King dies at 89". Los Angeles Times. May 14, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "B.B. King, ‘the King of the Blues,’ dies at 89". Boston Globe. May 15, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "B.B. King Receives Medal Of Freedom In D.C.". Billboard. December 15, 2006. Retrieved May 15, 2015. ^ Jump up to: a b c Dahl, Bill. "B.B. King". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 2011-12-30. ...he was born in 1925 near the town of Itta Bena. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Troupe, Quincy (June 4, 1958). "BB King: American Blues Musician, b. 1925". Jazzandbluesmasters.com. Retrieved February 17, 2010. ...was born on a cotton plantation, in Itta Bene [sic], Mississippi, just outside the delta town of Indianola. ^ Jump up to: a b Sebastian Danchin, Blues Boy: The Life and Music of B. B. King, University Press of Mississippi, 1998, p. 1 (ISBN 1-57806-017-6) Jump up ^ Kostelanetz, Richard; Reiswig, Jesse, eds. (2005). The B.B. King Reader: 6 Decades of Commentary (2nd ed.). Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard. p. 4. ISBN 0-634-09927-2. Jump up ^ "B.B. King: National Visionary". National Visionary Leadership Project. Retrieved June 3, 2011. Jump up ^ "Historical marker placed on Mississippi Blues Trail". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 25, 2007. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2011. Jump up ^ "B.B. King - KWEM 1948". KWEM Radio. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture. Edited by Jessie Carney Smith. ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, California. 2011. ISBN 978-0-313-35796-1 : Page 805-6. Jump up ^ B.B. is normally written with periods, but no space between the letters. Jump up ^ History of Rock & Roll. By Thomas E. Larson. Kendall/Hunt, Dubuque, Iowa. 2004. ISBN 978-0-7872-9969-9 : Page 25. ^ Jump up to: a b B.B. King interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969) Jump up ^ Dance, Helen Oakley; and B.B. King. Stormy Monday, p. 164 Jump up ^ "Blues Access Interview". Retrieved 12 September 2014. Jump up ^ "George Coleman: This Gentleman can PLAY". All About Jazz. Retrieved February 17, 2010. Jump up ^ U2 Rattle and Hum DVD, 1988 Jump up ^ "Bluesobit: BB King". No Rock And Roll Fun. Retrieved 15 May 2015. Jump up ^ Kerekes, Jim; O'Neill, Dennis (1997-01-03). "B.B. King: Lucille Speaks". Archived from the original on 2011-11-16. Jump up ^ "B.B. King: Biography and Much More from". Answers.com. Retrieved May 16, 2011. Jump up ^ Sawyer, Charles. "The Life of Riley". Retrieved 5 October 2014. Jump up ^ Kostelanetz 1997, p. 146. Jump up ^ "B.B. King Biography". BBKing.com. Retrieved May 15, 2015. ^ Jump up to: a b {[cite web|url=http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=bbking&pageid=icb.page... Extension School|title=B.B.'s Life|accessdate=May 15, 2015}} Jump up ^ McShane, Larry (May 15, 2015). "B.B. King dead at 89: Blues guitarist whose sound defined music for generations passes away in sleep". New York Daily News. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Rees, Dafydd & Crampton, Luke (1991). Rock Movers & Shakers, ABC-CLIO, p.287. ISBN 0-87436-661-5 Jump up ^ "ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE LISTS 500 GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME". Sun Records. July 15, 2010. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Rothman, Michael (May 15, 2015). "Blues Icon B.B. King Dead at Age 89". ABC News. Retrieved May 15, 2015. ^ Jump up to: a b Polar Music Prize Winners[dead link] Jump up ^ Ritter, Ken (May 15, 2015). "'King of the Blues' blues legend B.B. King dead at age 89". KUSI News. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Brown, Mick (May 18, 2009). "BB King interview: the last of the great bluesmen". The Telegraph. Retrieved May 15, 2015. ^ Jump up to: a b "BB King farewells Montreux". Sydney Morning Herald. July 5, 2006. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center". Bbkingmuseum.org. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2010. Jump up ^ John F. Ross "B.B. Gets His Own Museum," American Heritage, Winter 2009. Jump up ^ Melzer, Ashley (September 11, 2008). "B.B. King Museum to open this Saturday". Paste Magazine. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "B.B. KING LIVE IN YOUR OWN HOME". IGN. January 15, 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "28 JULY 2007 - CROSSROADS GUITAR FESTIVAL". Where's Eric!. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Chinen, Nate (September 22, 2007). "Stars Join Forces to Salute (and Support) a Rock Legend". The New York Times. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "B.B. KING – ONE SHOE BLUES". Kaleidoscope Pictures. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Coyle, Jake (June 14, 2008). "B.B. King given key to the city at Bonnaroo". USA Today. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "OPENING NIGHT AT THE BOWL". Hollywood Bowl. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "Official Site". B.B. King. Retrieved 2011-12-30. Jump up ^ Dirks, Rebecca (June 27, 2010). "Reporting From Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010". Premier Guitar. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Baca, Ricardo (September 23, 2010). "The Reverb Interview: Cyndi Lauper". Hey Reverb. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Goff, Dafydd (June 24, 2011). "BB King at Glastonbury 2011 – review". The Guardian. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "Live at the Royal Albert Hall 2011". allMusic. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Compton, Matt (22 February 2012). "President Obama Sings "Sweet Home Chicago"". The White House blog. Retrieved 2015-05-15. Jump up ^ Kelley, Frannie. "First Listen: Big K.R.I.T., 'Live From The Underground'". NPR. Retrieved 28 May 2012. Jump up ^ Mssawir, Elia. "Byblos Festival featured BB King among others in 2012". Demotix. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "B.B. King lived up to his legend at New Orleans Jazz Fest". NOLA.com. nola.com. Retrieved April 11, 2014. Jump up ^ "B.B. King Cancels Remaining 8 shows". bbking.com. October 4, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "Tour Update". bbking.com. October 8, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ McMahon, Brian (November 19, 2014). "A Little Bit of Lefty Love". WIUX. Retrieved May 14, 2015. Jump up ^ Burrows, Terry, The Complete Book of the Guitar, p. 111. Carlton Books Limited, 1998, ISBN 1-85868-529-X Jump up ^ "One Customer's Pawnshop Treasure". Guitarcenterblog.com. December 3, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2011.[dead link] ^ Jump up to: a b Category: Who Plays What. "B.B. King's Guitar Gear Rig and Equipment". Uberproaudio.com. Retrieved 2012-11-10. Jump up ^ "The Official Website". Bbking.com. September 16, 1925. Retrieved February 17, 2010. Jump up ^ "Bb King: King's Clubs: 'good Memories, Good Times'". Allbusiness.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2010. Jump up ^ Abbott, Jim (November 30, 2007). "The man himself opens new B.B. King's Blues Club". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "West Palm Beach". Bbkingclubs.com. Retrieved February 17, 2010. Jump up ^ "Job Fair at B.B. King's Blues Club". Lasvegassun.com. September 3, 2009. Retrieved February 17, 2010. Jump up ^ "Honorary Board of Directors". Little Kids Rock. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "BB King Performs At Luke's — February 3, 1995". Retrieved June 8, 2007. Jump up ^ Sesame Workshop. "Sesame Street Beat Newsletter Archive". Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved June 8, 2007. Jump up ^ IMDB. "B.B. King". Archived from the original on February 13, 2007. Retrieved February 6, 2007. Jump up ^ ""Cow and Chicken" Cow and Chicken Blues/The Ballad of Cow and Chicken/I.M. Weasel: I.R. Good Salesman (TV Episode 1999) - IMDb". imdb.com. Retrieved April 11, 2014. Jump up ^ Kiesewetter, John (April 2, 2000). "PBS encourages kids to read Between the Lions". Enquirer. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ "Official Site". B.B. King. Retrieved 2012-10-16. Jump up ^ Finn, Natalie (April 7, 2015). "Blues Legend B.B. King Hospitalized in Las Vegas". E! Online. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ ""Boldness, Branding and B.B. King: Toyota Launches 2015 Camry Campaign"". Jump up ^ Santilli, MJ (March 15, 2011). "Crystal Bowersox and BB King In New Diabetes Campaign". MJSBIGBLOG. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ West, Rebecca (April 20, 2000). "Interview with B.B. King". Blues on Stage. Retrieved March 14, 2010. Jump up ^ "You and Me with B.B. King." SIRIUS Channel 74. May 12, 2009. Jump up ^ Mitchell, Gail (June 29, 2007). "On the road again, B.B. King preps new album". Reuters. Jump up ^ King, B.B. and Daniel Ritz. Blues All Around Me, 1999. Jump up ^ Ellis, Ralph (2 May 2015). "B.B. King "in home hospice care"". CNN. Retrieved 2015-05-15. Jump up ^ Ritter, Ken (15 May 2015). "'King of the Blues' blues legend B.B. King dead at age 89". Associated Press. Retrieved 2015-05-15. Jump up ^ "'King of the Blues' Legend B.B. King Dead in Las Vegas at Age 89, His Attorney Says". ABC News. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-15. Jump up ^ "B.B. King [Timeline]". The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 6, 2015. 1980: B.B. King is inducted into the first class of the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame. Jump up ^ "B.B. King". Retrieved 12 September 2014. Jump up ^ "List of National Medal of Arts Recipients". Nea.gov. Archived from the original on March 2, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2010. Jump up ^ "1991 NEA National Heritage Fellowships". Nea.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2010.[dead link] Jump up ^ "Kennedy Center Records". Kennedy-center.org. September 16, 1925. Retrieved February 17, 2010. Jump up ^ "List of Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients". Senate.gov. Archived from the original on February 22, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2010. Jump up ^ "Brown University to Confer Nine Honorary Degrees May 27". Brown.edu. Retrieved February 17, 2010. Jump up ^ "King of Portland" – Portland Press Herald, May 19, 2008[dead link] Jump up ^ Tyrangiel, Josh (August 14, 2009). "The 10 Greatest Electric-Guitar Players". Time. Retrieved January 6, 2011. Jump up ^ ""The Blues Heritage" Indianola, Mississippi Chamber of Commerce". Indianolams.org. Retrieved February 17, 2010.[dead link] Jump up ^ Mississippi Blues Commission. "B.B. King Birthplace". msbluestrail.org. Retrieved February 2, 2010. Jump up ^ "Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Winners". Grammy.com. February 8, 2009. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2010. Jump up ^ "Grammy Database". Grammy.com. February 8, 2009. Archived from the original on February 13, 2010. Retrieved February 17, 2010. External links[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to B.B. King. Official website BBKing.com B.B. King at DMOZ B.B. King at the Internet Movie Database Appearances on C-SPAN Works by or about B.B. King in libraries (WorldCat catalog) B.B. King collected news and commentary at The New York Times B.B. King collected news and commentary at The Guardian [hide] v t e B.B. King Studio albums 1957: Singin' the Blues 1958: The Blues 1960: My Kind of Blues 1968: Lucille 1969: Completely Well 1970: Indianola Mississippi Seeds 1971: B.B. King in London 1972: L.A. Midnight Guess Who 1973: To Know You Is to Love You 1977: King Size 1978: Midnight Believer 1979: Take It Home 1981: There Must Be a Better World Somewhere 1985: Six Silver Strings 1991: There Is Always One More Time 1993: Blues Summit 1995: Lucille & Friends 1997: Deuces Wild 1998: Blues on the Bayou 1999: Let the Good Times Roll 2000: Riding with the King Makin' Love Is Good for You 2003: Reflections 2005: B. B. King & Friends: 80 2008: One Kind Favor Live albums 1965: Live at the Regal 1969: Live & Well 1971: Live in Cook County Jail 1974: Together for the First Time... Live 1976: Bobby Bland and B. B. King Together Again...Live 1980: Now Appearing at Ole Miss 1991: Live at the Apollo Live at San Quentin 1999: Live in Japan Compilations 1975: Lucille Talks Back 1983: Why I Sing the Blues 1992: King of the Blues 1999: His Definitive Greatest Hits 2005: The Ultimate Collection 2007: The Best of the Early Years Singles 1951: "3 O'Clock Blues" 1952: "Shake It Up and Go" 1955: "Every Day I Have the Blues" 1956: "Sweet Little Angel" 1959: "Sugar Mama" 1961: "Someday Baby" 1962: "Going Down Slow" 1963: "Trouble in Mind" 1964: "How Blue Can You Get" "Rock Me Baby" "Please Send Me Someone to Love" 1965: "Blue Shadows" 1966: "Eyesight to the Blind" "Just Like a Woman" "Five Long Years" "Ain't Nobody's Business" 1970: "The Thrill Is Gone" "Worried Life" 1976: "Let the Good Times Roll" 1985: "Big Boss Man" 1988: "When Love Comes to Town" 1992: "Since I Met You Baby" Other songs 1961: "Driving Wheel 1974: "Black Night" 1977: "Don't You Lie to Me" 1985: "In the Midnight Hour" 1990: "Into the Night" 1995: "You Shook Me" 1998: "Mean Ole' World" 1999: "Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens" "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" "Buzz Me" "Jack, You're Dead" "Saturday Night Fish Fry" "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out" "Early in the Mornin'" 2000: "Hold On, I'm A Comin'" "Come Rain or Come Shine" "Since I Fell for You" 2005: "Need Your Love So Bad" "Early in the Morning" 2008: "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" "Sitting on Top of the World" Related articles Discography Memphis blues Beale Street WDIA Chitlin' circuit Bihari brothers Maxwell Davis Lucille (guitar) The Road to Memphis [hide] v t e Blues Subgenres Boogie-woogie Classic female blues Country blues Electric blues Fife and drum blues Hokum Jug band Jump blues Piano blues Fusion genres Blues rock Gospel blues Punk blues Soul blues Regional styles British blues Canadian blues Chicago blues Delta blues Detroit blues East Coast blues Hill country blues Indian blues Kansas City blues Louisiana blues Memphis blues New Orleans blues New York blues Piedmont blues St. Louis blues Swamp blues Texas blues West Coast blues Instruments Acoustic guitar Bass guitar Upright bass Drums Electric guitar Harmonica Piano Slide guitar Other topics Blue note Blues genres Blues scale Eight-bar blues Musical improvisation Origins Twelve-bar blues Lists List of blues musicians List of blues standards Wikipedia book Book Category Category Portal Portal Non-article page Blues songs [hide] v t e Laureates of the Polar Music Prize 1990s Paul McCartney / the Baltic states (1992) Dizzy Gillespie / Witold Lutosławski (1993) Quincy Jones / Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1994) Elton John / Mstislav Rostropovich (1995) Joni Mitchell / Pierre Boulez (1996) Bruce Springsteen / Eric Ericson (1997) Ray Charles / Ravi Shankar (1998) Stevie Wonder / Iannis Xenakis (1999) 2000s Bob Dylan / Isaac Stern (2000) Burt Bacharach / Robert Moog / Karlheinz Stockhausen (2001) Miriam Makeba / Sofia Gubaidulina (2002) Keith Jarrett (2003) B.B. King / György Ligeti (2004) Gilberto Gil / Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (2005) Led Zeppelin / Valery Gergiev (2006) Sonny Rollins / Steve Reich (2007) Pink Floyd / Renée Fleming (2008) Peter Gabriel / José Antonio Abreu / El Sistema (2009) 2010s Björk / Ennio Morricone (2010) Kronos Quartet / Patti Smith (2011) Paul Simon / Yo-Yo Ma (2012) Youssou N'Dour / Kaija Saariaho (2013) Chuck Berry / Peter Sellars (2014) [hide] v t e Kennedy Center Honorees (1990s) 1990 Dizzy Gillespie Katharine Hepburn Risë Stevens Jule Styne Billy Wilder 1991 Roy Acuff Betty Comden and Adolph Green Fayard and Harold Nicholas Gregory Peck Robert Shaw 1992 Lionel Hampton Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward Ginger Rogers Mstislav Rostropovich Paul Taylor 1993 Johnny Carson Arthur Mitchell Sir Georg Solti Stephen Sondheim Marion Williams 1994 Kirk Douglas Aretha Franklin Morton Gould Harold Prince Pete Seeger 1995 Jacques d'Amboise Marilyn Horne B.B. King Sidney Poitier Neil Simon 1996 Edward Albee Benny Carter Johnny Cash Jack Lemmon Maria Tallchief 1997 Lauren Bacall Bob Dylan Charlton Heston Jessye Norman Edward Villella 1998 Bill Cosby Fred Ebb and John Kander Willie Nelson André Previn Shirley Temple Black 1999 Victor Borge Sean Connery Judith Jamison Jason Robards Stevie Wonder Complete list 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s [hide] v t e Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 1987 Performers The Coasters Eddie Cochran Bo Diddley Aretha Franklin Marvin Gaye Bill Haley B.B. King Clyde McPhatter Ricky Nelson Roy Orbison Carl Perkins Smokey Robinson Big Joe Turner Muddy Waters Jackie Wilson Early influences Louis Jordan T-Bone Walker Hank Williams Non-performers (Ahmet Ertegun Award) Leonard Chess Ahmet Ertegün Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller Jerry Wexler Categories: B.B. King1925 births2015 deaths20th-century American singers21st-century American singersAfrican-American guitaristsAfrican-American male singersAfrican-American rock musiciansAfrican-American singer-songwritersAmerican blues guitaristsAmerican blues musiciansAmerican blues singersAmerican blues singer-songwritersAmerican buskersAmerican male guitaristsAmerican male singer-songwritersAmerican rhythm and blues musiciansBlues Hall of Fame inducteesBlues musicians from MississippiElectric blues musiciansFederal Records artistsFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesGeffen Records artistsGrammy Award-winning artistsGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award winnersJammy Award winnersKennedy Center honoreesKent Records artistsLead guitaristsMCA Records artistsMemphis blues musiciansMississippi Blues TrailNational Heritage Fellowship winnersPeople from Itta Bena, MississippiPeople from Memphis, TennesseePeople from Sunflower County, MississippiPresidential Medal of Freedom recipientsRock and Roll Hall of Fame inducteesRPM Records (United States) artistsSongwriters from MississippiSoul-blues musiciansSun Records artistsVirgin Records artistsUnited States National Medal of Arts recipients

B.B. King Biography Showing all 28 items Jump to: Overview (4) | Mini Bio (1) | Spouse (2) | Trade Mark (2) | Trivia (15) | Personal Quotes (4) Overview (4) Date of Birth 16 September 1925, Itta Bena, Mississippi, USA Birth Name Riley Ben King Nicknames Blues Boy Beale Street Blues Boy King of the Blues Height 5' 9¾" (1.77 m) Mini Bio (1) B.B. King was born on September 16, 1925 in Itta Bena, Mississippi, USA as Riley Ben King. He was previously married to Sue Carol Hall and Martha Lee Denton. Spouse (2) Sue Carol Hall (4 June 1958 - 1966) (divorced) Martha Lee Denton (11 November 1944 - 1952) (divorced) Trade Mark (2) His Black Gibson ES-355 guitar, named "Lucille" His vibrato-finger technique on the guitar Trivia (15) Is one of the most talented and celebrated electric-blues artists of the late 20th Century. He has recorded between 90 to 100 blues albums over the course of his singing career and is known for refining electric-blues more than any other blues artist, (a genre invented by the late great Muddy Waters). Claims to have fathered 15 children out of wedlock, all with different women. At the time of his death, news sources claimed that his 15 children were a combination of biological and adopted (but did not indicate how many of each), but that only 11 of those children survived him. Those included eldest surviving daughter Shirley King, who was upset that she did not get a chance to see her father before his death. He plays a Gibson B.B. King Lucille. The model he plays used to have a Gibson number name, but starting in 1982, after making some special modifications per King's requests, the guitar became the Lucille model. Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. Diabetic since 1990. Is a blues musician and singer. Mentioned in the song "Life Is a Rock But the Radio Rolled Me" by Reunion. He was awarded the Polar Music Prize, the Royal Swedish Academy of Music Award, on May 24, 2004. He was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1990 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington, D.C. Mentioned in the song "Dig It" by The Beatles. Performed the song "When Love Comes to Town" in a duet with U2 from the album "Rattle and Hum". Is a vegetarian, non drinker, non smoker, and a licensed pilot. Owns blues clubs in Memphis, New York City and Los Angeles. He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6771 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. Attended the opening of the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretative Center in Indianola, Mississippi. [September 2008] Personal Quotes (4) About 15 times, a lady has said: "It's either me or Lucille.". That's why I've had 15 children by 15 women. Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but no one wants to die to get there! (when asked what he would do differently, could he live his life over) I would have finished high school. Nobody loves me but my mother, and she could be jivin', too.