Profile
B.B. King
Blues Guitarist and Singer-songwriter
Male
Born
Sep 16, 1925
Age
87
Hometown
Itta Bena, Missis...
Genres
Electric blues + ...
Instruments
Lucille (Guitar) ...
Performed With
Pappo + Big Krit ...
Record Label
Universal Music G...
Other Names
King, B.B.
Riley B. King, known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American songwriter, vocalist, and famed blues guitarist. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No. 6 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, and he was ranked No. 17 in Gibson's Top… Read More
Photos
View newly released photos of B.B. King.
Romance
Check out the latest love interests for B.B. King.
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Sue Carol HallMarried 1958 - 1966
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Sue HallMarried 1958
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Martha Lee DentonMarried 1944 - 1952
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Martha DentonMarried 1944
News + Updates
Browse recent news and stories about B.B. King.
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Among Men.Com: 8 Must See Canadian Summer Music FestivalsHuffington Post - Apr 26, 2013
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Frank Schaeffer: A Tribute To My Evangelical Leader Mom Edith Schaeffer RipHuffington Post - Mar 30, 2013
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Suspected Gunman Manifesto: Politics, Pop CultureFox News - Feb 08, 2013
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Ivanley Noisette: A Letter To Our Ancestors: Dear Fellow CitizensHuffington Post - Jan 02, 2013
Timeline
Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of B.B. King.
CHILDHOOD
1925
Birth
King was born in a small cabin on a cotton plantation outside of Berclair, Mississippi, to Albert King and Nora Ella Farr on September 16, 1925.
1930
4 Years Old
In 1930, when King was four years old, his father abandoned the family, and his mother married another man.
… Read More
TEENAGE
1943
17 Years Old
In 1943, King left Kilmichael to work as a tractor driver and play guitar with the Famous St. John's Quartet of Inverness, Mississippi, performing at area churches and on WGRM in Greenwood, Mississippi.
TWENTIES
In 1946, King followed Bukka White to Memphis, Tennessee.
… Read More
1948
22 Years Old
However, King shortly returned to Mississippi, where he decided to prepare himself better for the next visit, and returned to West Memphis, Arkansas, two years later in 1948.
… Read More
In 1949, King began recording songs under contract with Los Angeles-based RPM Records.
… Read More
THIRTIES
1956
30 Years Old
King meanwhile toured the entire "Chitlin' circuit" and 1956 became a record-breaking year, with 342 concerts booked.
… Read More
1962
36 Years Old
In 1962, King signed to ABC-Paramount Records, which was later absorbed into MCA Records, and this hence into his current label, Geffen Records.
1964
38 Years Old
In November 1964, King recorded the Live at the Regal album at the Regal Theater in Chicago, Illinois.
… Read More
FORTIES
1969
43 Years Old
He gained further visibility among rock audiences as an opening act on The Rolling Stones' 1969 American Tour.
… Read More
FIFTIES
1980
54 Years Old
King was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980, and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
… Read More
LATE ADULTHOOD
2005
79 Years Old
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In 2005 Gibson made a special run of 80 Gibson Lucilles, referred to as the "80th Birthday Lucille", the first prototype of which was given as a birthday gift to King, and which he has been using ever since.
… Read More
On March 29, 2006, King played at Hallam Arena in Sheffield, England.
… Read More
On July 28, 2007, King played at Eric Clapton's second Crossroads Guitar Festival with 20 other guitarists to raise money for the Crossroads Centre for addictive disorders.
… Read More
In June 2008, King played at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee; he was also the final performer at the 25th annual Chicago Blues Festival on June 8, 2008, and at the Monterey Blues Festival, following Taj Mahal.
2009
83 Years Old
In Summer 2009, King started a European Tour with concerts in France, Germany, Belgium, Finland and Denmark.
In March 2010, King contributed to Cyndi Lauper's album Memphis Blues, which was released on June 22, 2010.
2011
85 Years Old
On June 25, 2011 King played the pyramid stage at The Glastonbury Music Festival.
… Read More
On March 22, 2012, King played a concert at the Chicago House of Blues, where Benson made a guest appearance and both King & Benson held a jammin' session for over 20 minutes, it was also the celebration of Benson's birthday.
… Read More
Original Authors of this text are noted on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B.B._King.
Text is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Text is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.