- Born
- Died
- Birth nameRiley Ben King
- Nicknames
- Blues Boy
- Beale Street Blues Boy
- King of the Blues
- Height5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
- Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 - May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, 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 in Itta Bena, Mississippi, and later worked at a cotton gin in Indianola, Mississippi. He was attracted to music and the guitar in church, and he began his career in Juke joints and local radio. He later lived in Memphis and Chicago; then, as his fame grew, toured the world extensively. King died at the age of 89 in Las Vegas on May 14, 2015.
- IMDb mini biography by: Bonitao
- SpousesSue Carol Hall(June 4, 1958 - May 1966) (divorced)Martha Lee Denton(November 11, 1944 - 1952) (divorced)
- ParentsAlbert KingNora Ella Pulley
- His Black Gibson ES-355 guitar, named "Lucille"
- His vibrato-finger technique on the guitar
- Claimed to have fathered 15 children out of wedlock, all with different women. At the time of his death, news sources claimed that his 15 children were a combination of biological and adopted (but did not indicate how many of each), but that only 11 of those children survived him. Those included eldest surviving daughter Shirley King, who was upset that she did not get a chance to see her father before his death.
- He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (1990).
- He played a Gibson B.B. King Lucille. The model he played used to have a Gibson number name, but starting in 1982, after making some special modifications per King's requests, the guitar became the Lucille model.
- The name B.B. King is short for his first stage name, Blues Boy King.
- Won 15 Grammy Awards and sold more than 40 million records worldwide, a remarkable number for blues.
- About 15 times, a lady has said, "It's either me or Lucille [his guitar]". That's why I've had 15 children by 15 women.
- Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but no one wants to die to get there!
- [asked what he would do differently, could he live his life over] I would have finished high school.
- Nobody loves me but my mother, and she could be jivin', too.
- [on which musicians will keep the blues alive in a June 2006 interview] I could name so many that I think that you won't miss me at all when I'm not around. You'll maybe miss seeing my face, but the music will go on.
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