Deborah Cox
Canadian R&B singer-songwriter and actress
B.B. King was a legendary American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was known for his influential style of soloing and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. King performed tirelessly throughout his career, appearing at over 200 concerts per year well into his 70s.
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About the B. B. King
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. AllMusic recognized King as “the single most important electric guitarist of the last half of the 20th century”.
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). King performed tirelessly throughout his musical career, appearing on average at more than 200 concerts per year into his 70s. In 1956 alone, he appeared at 342 shows.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
B.B. King was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, earning the nickname ‘The King of the Blues’.
B.B. King was known for his sophisticated style of soloing, which was based on fluid string bending, shimmering vibrato, and staccato picking. This style influenced many later blues electric guitar players.
B.B. King was born on September 16, 1925, on a cotton plantation in Berclair, near the city of Itta Bena, Mississippi.
B.B. King performed tirelessly throughout his musical career, appearing on average at more than 200 concerts per year, even into his 70s. In 1956 alone, he appeared at 342 shows.
B.B. King was considered one of the ‘Three Kings of the Blues Guitar’, along with Albert King and Freddie King, though they were not actually related.
B.B. King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, in recognition of his status as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time.
B.B. King was born in Mississippi and later worked at a cotton gin in Indianola. He later lived in Memphis and Chicago, and as his fame grew, he toured the world extensively.
7 Quotes by B. B. King
- 1.
The blues was like that problem child that you may have had in the family. You was a little bit ashamed to let anybody see him, but you loved him. You just didn’t know how other people would take it.
B. B. KingAmerican blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter (1925-2015)
- 2.
Jazz is the big brother of the blues. If a guy’s playing blues like we play, he’s in high school. When he starts playing jazz it’s like going on to college, to a school of higher learning.
B. B. KingAmerican blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter (1925-2015)
- 3.
The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.
B. B. KingAmerican blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter (1925-2015)
- 4.
I don’t think anybody steals anything; all of us borrow.
B. B. KingAmerican blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter (1925-2015)
- 5.
The way I feel today, as long as my health is good and I can handle myself well and people still come to my concerts, still buy my CDs, I’ll keep playing until I feel like I can’t.
B. B. KingAmerican blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter (1925-2015)
- 6.
We all have idols. Play like anyone you care about but try to be yourself while you’re doing so.
B. B. KingAmerican blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter (1925-2015)
- 7.
I’ve said that playing the blues is like having to be black twice. Stevie Ray Vaughan missed on both counts, but I never noticed.
B. B. KingAmerican blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter (1925-2015)