B.B. King - Songs

ABOUT

B.B. King (September 16, 1925 - May 14, 2015) was a celebrated blues singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer who became famous beginning in the early 1950s. A revered figure in blues music, he introduced a unique vibrato style of playing the electric blues guitar that, combined with his howling, impassioned singing style, made him one of the most influential blues musicians of all time.

Born Riley Ben King near Itta Bena, Mississippi, he sang gospel music in church as a child. In 1946, he left for Memphis, Tennessee to study blues guitar with Bukka White, an influential Delta blues guitarist and singer who was a first cousin of King's mother. In 1948, he began performing and working as a DJ on WDIA in Memphis and other local radio stations. It was during that time he became known as B.B. King; his famous first name initials were derived from his nickname, "Beale Street Blues Boy," which was later shortened to "Blues Boy" and finally to B.B.

In 1949, King began recording with RPM Records and had his first hit on the R&B charts in 1951 with the chart-topping "3 O'Clock Blues." This song was followed by a very long string of hits on both the Pop/Rock and R&B charts that also includes "You Know I Love You" (1952), "Please Love Me" (1953), "You Upset Me Baby" (1954), "Rock Me Baby" (1964), "Paying The Cost To Be The Boss" (1968), and "The Thrill Is Gone" (1969), the latter of which earned King a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 1970 and a Grammy Hall of Fame award in 1998. This song is included in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Over the years, B.B. King continued to record and tour almost up to his passing, giving hundreds of concerts each year into his 70s. Known as "The King Of The Blues," he influenced and inspired countless rock, R&B, and blues musicians throughout his long career. His numerous honors and accolades included 15 Grammys and being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He is included in Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time and in Gibson's list of top 50 Guitarists of All Time. King was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President George H.W. Bush in 1990 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush in 2006.

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SONGS

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B.B. King

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