I just heard the news that blues
icon Riley B. King (better known as B.B.), passed away yesterday at the age of
89. He had been ill for some months prior to his passing and had spent the last
month of his life in hospice care in Las Vegas.
B.B. was born on September 16,
1925 in Itta Bena, Mississippi, to sharecroppers. After his mother left the
family when he was 4, he was raised by his maternal grandmother.
As a child, B.B. sang in his
church choir, and obtained his first guitar. As a young man, he was a radio
disc jockey and singer. In 1949, he scored his first recording contract with a
precursor of Sun Records, and began touring all across the country. His first
#1 hit in 1952 was “3 O’Clock Blues.” Well, that is before my time.
B.B. named his guitar Lucille, to
remind him not to fight over a woman; there were many subsequent generations of
Lucille, all well-loved.
In 1956, B.B. founded his own
record label, Blues Boys Kingdom, headquartered at Beale Street in Memphis.
In 1970, King won a Grammy for “The
Thrill is Gone,” which is probably his most popular song to non-blues fans, and
is on the Rolling Stone list of greatest hits of all time.
In 1980, King was inducted into
the Blues Hall of Fame; in 1987 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame; in 2014 he was inducted into the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall
of Fame.
I am sad to say that for many fans
of the blues, finally, the thrill really is gone!
B.B. “Blues Boy” King [1925 –
2015]
© 05/15/2015
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