Back B.B. King Afrikaans B. B. King ALS B.B. King AN بي بي كينغ Arabic بى بى كينج ARZ B. B. King AST B. B. Kinq Azerbaijani بی.بی. کینق AZB B. B. King BAR Бі Бі Кінг Byelorussian

B. B. King

B. B. King
Publicity photo, 1980s
Publicity photo, 1980s
Background information
Birth nameRiley B. King
Born(1925-09-16)September 16, 1925
near Itta Bena, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedMay 14, 2015(2015-05-14) (aged 89)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • vocals
Years active1942–2014
Labels
Websitebbking.com

Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B. B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimmering vibrato, and staccato picking that influenced many later blues electric guitar players.[5][6] AllMusic recognized King as "the single most important electric guitarist of the last half of the 20th century".[6]

King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and is one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, earning the nickname "The King of the Blues", and is considered one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert King and Freddie King, none of whom are related).[7][8][9] King performed tirelessly throughout his musical career, appearing on average at more than 200 concerts per year into his 70s.[10] In 1956 alone, he appeared at 342 shows.[11]

King was born on a cotton plantation of Berclair, near the city of Itta Bena, Mississippi, and later worked at a cotton gin in Indianola, Mississippi. He was attracted to music and taught himself to play guitar and began his career in juke joints and local radio. He later lived in Memphis and Chicago; then, as his fame grew, he toured the world extensively.

  1. ^ Scapelliti, Christopher (May 15, 2015). "B.B. King Defined the Electric Blues on His Own Terms". Guitar World. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Roberts, Rabdall (May 15, 2015). "Appreciation: B.B. King built a bridge to the blues for the world". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  3. ^ Neal, Mark Anthony (May 16, 2015). "B.B. King And The Majesty Of The Blues". NPR. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  4. ^ "Gospel and the Blues". msbluestrail.org.
  5. ^ Komara, Edward M. Encyclopedia of the Blues, Routledge, 2006, p. 385.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Dahl was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Trovato, Steve. "Three Kings of Blues". Hal Leonard. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  8. ^ Leonard, Michael. "3 Kings of the Blues". Gibson. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  9. ^ "Happy Birthday to 'The Velvet Bulldozer' Albert King". WCBS FM. CBS. April 25, 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2013.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference halloffame was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Blues Guitarist B.B. King Dies at 89". Los Angeles Times. May 14, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015.

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