B.B. King, an iconic American blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter, was born on September 16, 1925, near Itta Bena, Mississippi, and passed away on May 14, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada. His name, B.B., stands for "Blues Boy."
Regarded as one of the most influential figures in blues music, King earned the title "The King of the Blues." He is celebrated as one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar," alongside Albert King and Freddie King, who are not related to him. Since the inception of his recording career in the 1940s, King released over fifty albums and also held a previous occupation as a tractor driver.
In his early years, King would perform on street corners for small change, sometimes playing in multiple towns in a single night. In 1947, he hitchhiked to Memphis, Tennessee, to pursue his ambition in music. While in Memphis, he stayed with his cousin, Bukka White, a notable blues artist of the time, who served as one of King's early mentors. King's significant break arrived in 1948 when he appeared on Sonny Boy Williamson’s radio show on KWEM in West Memphis. This opportunity led to regular performances at the Sixteenth Avenue Grill and a ten-minute segment on the Memphis radio station WDIA, which quickly grew in popularity and became known as the “Sepia Swing Club.” While working at WDIA as both a singer and disc jockey, King acquired the catchy nickname "Beale Street Blues Boy," which was later shortened to "Blues Boy" and finally to "B.B."
During the late 1940s and early 1950s, King became a prominent figure in the Beale Street blues scene, stating, "Beale Street was where it all started for me." He performed alongside notable artists such as Bobby Bland, Johnny Ace, and Earl Forest as part of a group called The Beale Streeters. In 1949, he made his recording debut with the single "Miss Martha King" on Bullet Records, which did not achieve commercial success. Shortly thereafter, he secured a recording contract with RPM Records, based in Los Angeles, with many of his early sessions produced by Sam Phillips, who would later establish Sun Records. Following his recording contract, King toured extensively across the United States, playing in both major city theaters and smaller venues in the southern states. During a performance in Twist, Arkansas, a fight broke out between two men, resulting in a fire. King evacuated but rushed back into the burning building when he realized he had left his acoustic guitar behind. He later learned that the altercation was over a woman named Lucille, and from that moment on, he named all his trademark Gibson guitars "Lucille" as a reminder against such disputes.
In 1952, King achieved a number one hit with "Three O’Clock Blues," which propelled him into national touring. The year 1956 marked a record-breaking period in his career, with 342 concerts booked and three recording sessions. He also founded his own record label, Blues Boys Kingdom, based in Memphis. In 1962, he signed with ABC-Paramount Records, which would later merge into MCA Records. In November 1964, he recorded what is widely regarded as one of his finest albums. In 1968, King performed at the Newport Folk Festival and at Bill Graham’s Fillmore West, sharing the stage with prominent contemporary rock artists who admired him and helped introduce his music to a younger, predominantly white audience. In 1969, he was selected by The Rolling Stones as the opening act for their American tour. King won a Grammy Award in 1970 for his rendition of "The Thrill Is Gone," which became a hit across both Pop and R&B charts and was ranked number 183 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. From the 1980s until his death, King maintained a prolific career, performing as many as 300 nights a year and appearing on numerous television shows.
B.B. King was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 as a Performer.
