B. B. King

In Memoriam

1925–2015

Born Itta Bena, Mississippi

Long acknowledged as the undisputed “King of the Blues,” guitarist B. B. King was a consummate musi­cian whose “vocal-like string bends” and distinctive left-hand vibrato influenced generations of blues players, as well as rock guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Carlos Santana. Born Riley B. King, he acquired the moniker B. B.—short for Blues Boy—while performing on a West Memphis radio station in the late 1940s. After his rendition of “Three O’Clock Blues” claimed the number-one spot on the R&B charts in 1951, King and his band embarked on their first nationwide tour. Thereafter, he main­tained an ambitious touring schedule, much to the delight of his legions of fans. In 1970 King scored a huge crossover hit with “The Thrill Is Gone,” which climbed both the R&B and pop music charts to earn him the first of fifteen Grammy Awards—more than any other blues artist.