B.B. King facts for kids

Quick facts for kids B.B. King
Background information
Birth name	Riley B. King
Born	(1925-09-16)September 16, 1925 Indianola, Mississippi, US
Died	May 14, 2015(2015-05-14) (aged 89) Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Genres	Blues
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1948 – 2015
Labels	Geffen/Interscope/Universal, Bullet Records, RPM Records, Crown, ABC, MCA, Reprise/Warner Bros., Virgin/EMI

B.B. King (born Riley B. King; September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015) was a famous American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter. He was known for his amazing guitar playing and powerful voice. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine listed him as the third "Greatest Guitarist of all Time." Only Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman were ranked higher.

Early Life of B.B. King

B.B. King was born in Indianola, Mississippi. He grew up with his grandmother, Elnora Farr, in Kilmichael, Mississippi. There, he sang in the gospel choir at Elkhorn Baptist Church. Gospel music is a type of Christian music.

His favorite musicians were blues artist T-Bone Walker and jazz artists like Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt. When he was 15, he bought his first guitar.

In 1943, B.B. King moved and worked as a tractor driver. He started performing on a radio show called Sonny Boy Williamson's radio program. People loved his music. Soon, he got a ten-minute spot on the radio station WDIA in Memphis, Tennessee. This show became very popular. The station gave him more time, and it was called the "Sepia Swing Club." During his time on the radio, he got his famous nickname "Beale Street Blues Boy." This was later shortened to B.B. (Beale Street is a real street in Memphis, known for its music).

B.B. King's Music Career

In 1949, King started recording songs for RPM Records. He formed his own band, called the B.B. King Review, and began touring.

B.B. King's guitar, Lucille, on his European Tour in 2009.

A famous story about B.B. King is how his guitar got its name, Lucille. In 1949, King was playing at a dance hall in Twist, Arkansas. The hall was heated by burning barrels of kerosene. Two men started a fight and knocked over a barrel. This caused a fire, and everyone ran outside. King realized he had left his guitar inside and ran back in to save it. The next day, he found out the fight was over a woman named Lucille. So, he named his guitar "Lucille" to remind himself never to do something so dangerous again.

In the 1950s, B.B. King became one of the most popular blues musicians. He toured a lot, sometimes playing 352 concerts in one year! He had many hit songs, including "3 O'Clock Blues" and "The Thrill Is Gone."

In the 1960s, his music became popular with white music fans too. Many famous guitarists, like Eric Clapton, said B.B. King influenced them. King played at rock concerts and places popular with the hippie culture. His song "The Thrill Is Gone" even reached #15 on the U.S. pop charts.

From the 1980s onwards, he kept performing. He appeared on many TV shows and played about 300 nights a year. He even performed with the rock band U2 on their song "When Love Comes To Town." This helped introduce his music to younger fans.

B.B. King on TV and in Movies

B.B. King made guest appearances on many popular television shows. These included The Cosby Show, The Young and the Restless, General Hospital, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Sesame Street. He also had small roles in movies. In Blues Brothers 2000, he led a blues supergroup called The Louisiana Gator Boys.

B.B. King's Blues Clubs

B.B. King's Blues Club sign on Beale Street in Memphis.

B.B. King owned a chain of restaurants that also had live music. The first one opened on Beale Street in Memphis in 1991. These clubs let people enjoy good food and great blues music.

B.B. King's Personal Life

B.B. King was married two times. His marriages ended because he traveled so much for concerts. He had Type 2 diabetes for over twenty years. He became a well-known person who helped raise awareness about the disease.

His Passing

B.B. King passed away on May 14, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 89 years old. He died from health problems related to his age and diabetes. His funeral was held in Indianola, Mississippi, and he was buried at the museum dedicated to him.

Honors and Awards for B.B. King

B.B. King receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

B.B. King received many important awards and honors during his life:

• In 1980, he was added to the Blues Hall of Fame.
• In 1987, he was added to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
• In 1990, he received the National Medal of Arts.
• In 1995, King was given the Kennedy Center Honors. This award celebrates the amazing talents of America's most famous artists.
• In 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine named him #3 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists.
• In 2006, President George W. Bush gave King the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is one of the highest awards a civilian can receive in the U.S.
• In 2009, Time magazine named B.B. King #3 on its list of the 10 best electric guitarists of all time.
• Each year, a B.B. King Homecoming Festival is held in Indianola, Mississippi.
• A special marker was placed on the Mississippi Blues Trail to honor his birthplace.
• A park in Portugal was renamed B.B. King Park after he played a free concert there.
• One award from the Blues Music Foundation is called the "B.B. King Entertainer of the Year."

Grammy Awards

King received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987. He won 15 Grammy Awards in total. Ten of these were for the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. Some of his winning albums include One Kind Favor (2009) and Riding with the King (2001) with Eric Clapton.

Important Albums and DVDs

Some of his important albums are:

• Live at the Regal (1965)
• Blues Summit (1993) – This album featured duets with other famous blues artists.
• Let The Good Times Roll-The Music of Louis Jordan (1999)
• Riding with the King (2001) – This was a collaboration with Eric Clapton.

Some of his DVDs include:

• B.B. King & Joan Baez - Live at "Sing Sing" (2004)
• Living Legend (2004)
• Live By Request (2003)

Famous Quotes by B.B. King

Here are some things B.B. King said:

• "The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you."
• "People all over the world have problems. And as long as people have problems, the blues can never die."
• "I wanted to connect my guitar to human emotions."
• "Ladies, friends, and music - without those three, I wouldn't wanna be here."

Fun Facts About B.B. King

• When B.B. King was a child, his mother did not want him to sing the blues.
• B.B.'s favorite singer was Frank Sinatra.
• Even though King was supposed to join the U.S. Army in 1945, he was allowed to stay home. This was because his skill as a tractor driver was needed to help with the war effort.
• King's first big hit song was recorded in a YMCA building in Memphis.
• "Lucille," the name of King's famous guitar, was the first of over forty guitars he named Lucille.
• His music has been used in more than fifty movie soundtracks.
• King was a vegetarian.
• The father of famous singer Aretha Franklin led B.B. King's second wedding ceremony.

Images for kids

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  Poster of B.B. King and Bill Harvey and Orchestra with a photo of B.B. King holding his guitar and Evelyn Young playing saxophone

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  King on stage in Hamburg 1971

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  King playing his favorite guitar, Lucille, in the 1980s

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  The story of a guitar named Lucille

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  King at Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, in May 2007

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  President Obama and King singing "Sweet Home Chicago" on February 21, 2012

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  King at the 2009 North Sea Jazz Festival

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  Sign outside B.B. King's Blues Club on Beale Street, Memphis

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  Early publicity photo of B.B. King

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  Commemorative guitar pick honoring "B.B. King Day" in Portland, Maine