“King of The Blues”
Katerina DeVore
Adrienne Walton
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Born September 16,1925 in Itta Bene, Mississippi to a farming couple.
Was named Riley B. King after his uncle.
His mother and father divorced when he was 4 years old.
His mother died when he was 9. He then lived with his grandmother.
He attended the Holiness Church where he had his 1st true musical
influence.
He was part of the group “The Famous St. John’s Gospel Singers”.
He worked as a sharecropper and tractor driver.
Married in 1944 to avoid the military draft.
In 1947 he hitchhiked to Memphis to pursue his musical career.
• Three O‘ ClOCk Blues
• Stayed with his cousin
Bukka White who
further schooled B.B. on
the blues.
• He lived in Memphis
and played gospel and
blues songs on the
corner for tips.
• B.B. had steady
engagements at the 16th
Avenue Grill.
• His most identifiable trademark is
his guitar, “Lucille” having been
with him since 1949.
• In her current form she is a
Gibson ES-355 which he has
played for 25 years.
Lucille told by B.B. King
Spotlight on Lucille
• 1st true musical influence B.B. had
was a preacher by the name of Archie
Fair.
• Archie taught B.B. the E,A, and B
chords.
• Bukka White, B.B.’ s older cousin was
a major influence on him.
• Bukka taught B.B. everything from
how to hold a guitar, to how to put
together lyrics. Most importantly
Bukka taught him how to be a true
bluesman.
• Some of the musicians B.B. listened to
at a early age are: jazz musicians
Charlie Christian and Django
Reinhardt, and a blues musician TBone Walker.
• B.B. performed on the radio show of his friend Sonny Boy
Williamson.
• Once Sonny Boy realized how good B.B. was, he asked him to
play at one of his gigs at a saloon.
• B.B. then got a job at the radio station where he would have a
10 minute spot to play anything he wanted as long as he
advertised for one of the stations sponsors.
• Known as the “Beale Street Blues Boy” he changed it to “Blues
Boy King” and finally it was shortened to “B.B. King”.
• “ Blues to me is many things, it
has to do with people, places and
things. And the way of life that
we lived in the past, we are living
today, and the way I believe we
will live tomorrow. It tells you
about the world as well; it tells
you about yourself as well as the
ones you love.”
• Lyrically B.B. has a combination
of humor and honesty.
• “When I sing, I play in my mind;
the minute I stop singing orally, I
start to sing by playing Lucille.”
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4 Honorary Doctorates
7 W.C. Handy Awards
4 N.A.A.C.P. Image Awards
9 Grammy Awards
27 Downbeat Awards
You Don't Know Me
Top Hits
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“The Thrill Is Gone”
“How Blue Can You Get”
“Sweet Little Angel”
“It Costs to Be The Boss”
“Three O’Clock Blues”
“ When Love Comes To Town”
“You Don’t Know Me”
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Eric Clapton
David Glamour
Buddy Guy
George Harrison
Jeff Beck
Mike Bloomfield
U2
The Thrill
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Jimi Hendrix
Prince
Albert King
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Albert Collins
Chuck Berry
Bo Didley
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http://biografieonline.it/music.htm?name=B.B.King
www.cr.nps.gov/delta/blues/people.bb_king.html
www.kenmeyerjr.com/music/b.b.king.html
www.sweelee.com.sg/html/MusicalInstruments/Guitars/Ele
ctric_Guitars.htm
http://www.worldblues.com/prarie/lucille.html
http://www.worldblues.com/prarie/begin.html
http://www.cyberpenguin.net.penguin/king.htm
http://www.bbking.com/about/features.asp
1. Who was B.B. ‘s 1st true musical influence?
A. Bukka White
B. T-Bone Walker
C. Archie Fair
2. How long did B.B. ‘s 1st hit stay at number 1?
A. 15 weeks
B. 13 weeks
C. 12 weeks3
3. How did B.B. get his 1st big break?
A. By playing in a saloon
B. By performing on street corners
C. By playing on a radio show.
Spotlight on Lucille