Given by Dec 11 2008
B.B. King
Memphis has produced two distinctly American musical genres; the Blues and Rock & Roll. I did a post a couple of weeks ago on Sun Studio which was home to many of the greatest artists of both of these sounds. In Memphis if you are going to talk about the Blues, you have to talk about B.B. King.
Riley B. King was born on September 16, 1925 on a plantation in Itta Bena, Mississippi. At 22 years old, B.B. King hitchhiked to Memphis to chase his musical dreams. Staying with his cousin, Bukka White who happens to also be a celebrated blues performer, B.B. learned even more about the Blues. B.B.’s first number one hit, “Three O’Clock Blues” propelled a 342 night, non-stop tour of every manner of juke joint to rock palace imaginable.
It is difficult to talk about B.B. King without mention of Lucille. Lucille is the the name of a woman who B.B. discovered was the person that two patrons at a club in Arkansas fought over. In the struggle, a kerosene stove was knocked over which ignited the nightclub in flames. B.B. actually ran back into the nightclub to get his guitar. Every Gibson guitar since that night has been named Lucille to remind him never to fight over a woman.
B.B. King is a legend in the musical world. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of fame in 1984 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. he was also awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987. He has been awarded six honorary degrees and the National Award of Distinction from the University of Mississippi in 1992. B.B. King continues to tour, averaging 250 appearances worldwide each year. Memphis is proud to be the place B.B. King got his start and still calls home.
Click HERE to visit the official B.B. King website.
