Origin
- BB King was born Riley B. King on a plantation in Itta Bena, Mississippi on September 16, 1925
- As a child, he played locally in his town for money
- King moved to Memphis, TN in 1947 to pursue his music career
- King was able to grow as an artist when he moved in with his cousin and fellow artist, Bukka White.
Career
Legacy
- BB King started recording in the 1940s and has put out over 40 albums
- In 1948, King performed on Sonny Boy Williamson’s radio program
- His first number one hit was “Three O’Clock Blues”
- King averaged over 250 concerts in a year
- In 1991, King opened BB King’s Blues Club in Memphis, TN
- BB King is known as the King of Blues.
- He went from playing music on the street for money to being labeled the King of R&B
- King was known for his unique guitar style
- King was inducted into the Blue’s Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 1987
- King passed away on May 14, 2015
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Original album and alternate reissues | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Jazz | US Blues | SWI | ||||||
| 1956 | Singin’ the Blues
| — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1958 | The Blues
| — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1959 | B.B. King Wails
| — | — | — | — | — | ||||
Sings Spirituals
| — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1960 | The Great B. B. King
| — | — | — | — | — | ||||
King of the Blues
| — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1961 | My Kind of Blues
| — | — | — | — | — | ||||
More B.B. King
| — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1962 | Twist With B.B. King
| — | — | — | — | — | ||||
Easy Listening Blues
| — | — | — | — | — | |||||
Blues in My Heart
| — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1963 | B.B. King
| — | — | — | — | — | ||||
Mr. Blues
| — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1966 | Confessin’ the Blues
| — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1968 | Blues on Top of Blues
| — | 46 | — | — | — | ||||
Lucille
| 192 | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1969 | Live & Well
| 56 | 11 | 17 | — | — | ||||
Completely Well
| 38 | 5 | — | — | — | |||||
| 1970 | Indianola Mississippi Seeds
| 26 | 8 | 7 | — | — | ||||
| 1971 | B.B. King in London
| 57 | 15 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1972 | L.A. Midnight
| 53 | 21 | — | — | — | ||||
Guess Who
| 65 | 14 | — | — | — | |||||
| 1973 | To Know You Is to Love You
| 71 | 13 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1974 | Friends
| 153 | 27 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1975 | Lucille Talks Back
| — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1977 | King Size
| 154 | 34 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1978 | Midnight Believer
| 124 | 27 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1979 | Take It Home
| 112 | 22 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1981 | There Must Be a Better World Somewhere
| 131 | 26 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1982 | Love Me Tender
| 179 | 45 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1983 | Blues ‘N’ Jazz
| 172 | 38 | 21 | — | — | ||||
| 1984 | Better Than Ever
| — | — | |||||||
| 1985 | Six Silver Strings
| — | 31 | 23 | — | — | ||||
| 1988 | King of the Blues: 1989
| — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1991 | There Is Always One More Time
| — | 76 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1993 | Blues Summit
| 182 | 64 | — | — | 93 | ||||
| 1994 | Heart to Heart
| — | — | 6 | — | — | ||||
| 1995 | Lucille & Friends
| — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1997 | Deuces Wild
| 73 | — | — | 1 | 33 |
| |||
| 1998 | Blues on the Bayou
| 186 | — | — | 2 | — | ||||
| 1999 | Let the Good Times Roll
| — | — | — | 2 | — | ||||
| 2000 | Riding with the King
| 3 | — | — | — | 3 |
| |||
Makin’ Love Is Good for You
| — | — | — | 2 | — | |||||
| 2001 | A Christmas Celebration of Hope
| 151 | — | — | 1 | — | ||||
| 2003 | Reflections
| 165 | — | — | 2 | — | ||||
| 2005 | B.B. King & Friends: 80
| 45 | — | — | 1 | 78 | ||||
| 2008 | One Kind Favor
| 37 | — | — | 1 | 78 | ||||
| “—” denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||||||
Live albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Blues | US Jazz | |||||||
| 1965 | Live at the Regal | 78 | — | — | — | |||||
| 1967 | The Kings’ Jam (Live Bootleg) (with Jimi Hendrix Live from the Generation Club, NY) | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1970 | The Incredible Soul of B.B. King | 193 | — | — | — | |||||
| 1971 | Live in Cook County Jail | 25 | 1 | — | 3 | |||||
| 1974 | B.B. King and Bobby Bland Together for the First Time… Live | 43 | 2 | — | — | |||||
| 1976 | Bobby Bland and B.B. King Together Again…Live | 73 | 9 | — | — | |||||
| 1980 | Now Appearing at Ole Miss | 162 | 45 | — | 21 | |||||
| 1982 | Royal Jam | 144 | — | — | — | |||||
| 1990 | Live at San Quentin | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1991 | Live at the Apollo | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 1999 | Live in Japan | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2007 | Forever Gold: B.B. King Live | — | — | 11 | — | |||||
| 2008 | Live at the BBC | — | — | 1 | — | |||||
| “—” denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||||||
Notable compilations[
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1968 | His Best – The Electric B. B. King |
| 1973 | The Best of B.B. King |
| 1983 | Why I Sing the Blues |
| 1986 | Ambassador Of The Blues (UK & Europe Only) |
| 1987 | You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now |
| 1992 | King of the Blues |
| My Sweet Little Angel | |
| 1995 | Lucille & Friends |
| Jazz & Blues Collection | |
| 1998 | Greatest Hits |
| 1999 | 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of B.B. King |
| His Definitive Greatest Hits | |
| 2005 | The Ultimate Collection |
| 2007 | The Best of the Early Years |
| 2012 | Ladies and Gentlemen…Mr. B.B. King |
Singles
| Year | Title | Single information | Peak chart position | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B | US | US Rock | UK | ||||
| 1949 | “Miss Martha King” c/w “When Your Baby Packs Up and Goes” |
| N/A | ||||
“Got the Blues” c/w “Take a Swing with Me” |
| ||||||
| 1950 | “Mistreated Woman” c/w “B.B. Boogie” |
| |||||
“Walkin’ and Cryin'” c/w “The Other Night Blues” |
| ||||||
| 1951 | “Don’t You Want a Man Like Me” c/w “My Baby’s Gone” |
| |||||
“B.B.’s Blues” c/w “She’s Dynamite” |
| ||||||
“She’s a Mean Woman” c/w “Hard Workin’ Woman |
| ||||||
“3 O’Clock Blues” b/w “That Ain’t the Way to Do It” (from The Blues”) |
| 1 | — | — | — | Singin’ the Blues | |
| 1952 | “Fine Lookin’ Woman” c/w “She Don’t Move Me No More” |
| N/A | ||||
“Shake It Up and Go” c/w “My Own Fault, Darlin'” (re-recorded for My Kind of Blues) |
| — | — | — | — | ||
“Some Day Some Where” c/w “Gotta Find My Baby” |
| ||||||
“You Know I Love You” c/w “You Didn’t Want Me” (non-album track) |
| Singin’ the Blues | |||||
“Story from My Heart and Soul” c/w “Boogie Woogie Woman” (from The Blues) |
| 9 | — | — | — | N/A | |
| 1953 | “Woke Up This Morning” (My Baby She Was Gone) c/w “Don’t Have to Cry” (“Past Day” from The Blues) |
| 3 | — | — | — | Singin’ the Blues |
“Please Love Me” c/w “Highway Bound” (non-album track) |
| 1 | — | — | — | ||
“Please Hurry Home” c/w “Neighborhood Affair” |
| 4 | — | — | — | N/A | |
“Blind Love” c/w “Why Did You Leave Me” |
| Singin’ the Blues | |||||
| 1954 | “Please Help Me” c/w “Praying to the Lord” |
| N/A | ||||
| “Love You Baby”/ |
| ||||||
| “The Woman I Love” | 31 | — | — | — | B.B. King Wails | ||
“Everything I Do Is Wrong” c/w “Don’t You Want a Man Like Me” (from The Blues) |
| N/A | |||||
| “Bye! Bye! Baby”/ |
| ||||||
| “When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer” | 8 | — | — | — | The Blues | ||
“You Upset Me Baby” c/w “Whole Lotta Love”(later appeared on The Great B.B. King) |
| 1 | — | — | — | Singin’ the Blues | |
| 1955 | “Every Day I Have the Blues/ |
| 8 | — | — | — | Singin’ the Blues |
| “Sneakin’ Around” | 14 | — | — | — | The Great B.B. King | ||
“Lonely and Blue” c/w Jump with You Baby” |
| N/A | |||||
“I’m in Love” c/w “Shut Your Mouth” (from More B.B. King) |
| ||||||
“Talkin’ the Blues” c/w “Boogie Rock” |
| N/A | |||||
| “Ten Long Years”c/w “What Can I Do” (from The Blues) |
| 9 | — | — | — | Singin’ the Blues | |
“I’m Cracking Up Over You” c/w “Ruby Lee” (from The Blues) |
| N/A | |||||
“Crying Won’t Help You” c/w “Can’t We Talk It Over” (non-album track) and “16 Tons” (non-album track) on different releases |
| 15 | — | — | — | Singin’ the Blues | |
| 1956 | “Let’s Do the Boogie” c/w “Did You Ever Love a Woman” (from Singin’ the Blues) |
| N/A | ||||
“Dark Is the Night (Part I)” c/w “Dark Is the Night (Part II)” |
| ||||||
| “Sweet Little Angel”/ |
| 6 | — | — | — | Singin’ the Blues | |
| “Bad Luck” | 3 | — | — | — | |||
“On My Word of Honor” c/w “Bim Bam” |
| N/A | |||||
| 1957 | “Early in the Morning” c/w “You Don’t Know” (non-album track) |
| The Blues | ||||
“How Do I Love You” c/w “You Can’t Fool My Heart” |
| N/A | |||||
| “I Want to Get Married”/ |
| 14 | — | — | — | The Blues | |
| “Troubles, Troubles, Troubles” | 13 | — | — | — | |||
| “Quit My Baby”/ |
| The Great B.B. King | |||||
| “Be Careful with a Fool” | — | 95 | — | — | |||
“I Wonder” c/w “I Need You So Bad” |
| N/A | |||||
“The Key to My Kingdom” c/w “My Heart Belongs to Only You” |
| ||||||
| 1958 | “Why Do Everything Happen to Me” c/w “You Know I Go for You” |
| The Blues | ||||
“Don’t Look Now, But I’ve Got the Blues” c/w “Days of Old” (from The Great B.B. King) |
| N/A | |||||
| “Please Accept My Love” |
| 9 | — | — | — | ||
| “You’ve Been an Angel” | 16 | — | — | — | |||
| 1959 | “I Am” c/w “Worry Worry” |
| |||||
“Come by Here” c/w “The Fool” |
| B.B. King Wails | |||||
“A Lonely Lover’s Plea” c/w “Woman I Love” |
| N/A | |||||
“Everyday I Have the Blues” c/w “Time to Say Goodbye” (from B.B. King Wails) |
| N/A/original version on Singin’ the Blues | |||||
“Mean Ole Frisco” c/w “Sugar Mama” |
| — | — | — | — | N/A | |
“Sweet Sixteen, Pt. 1” b/w “Sweet Sixteen, Pt. 2” |
| 2 | — | — | — | The Great B.B. King | |
| 1960 | “Got a Right to Love My Baby” c/w “My Own Fault” (from My Kind of Blues) |
| King of the Blues | ||||
| “Good Man Gone Bad” |
| ||||||
| “Partin’ Time” | 8 | — | — | — | |||
| “You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now”/ |
| My Kind of Blues | |||||
| “Walking Dr. Bill” | 23 | — | — | — | |||
“Things Are Not the Same” c/w “Fishin After Me” (from My Kind of Blues) |
| N/A | |||||
| 1961 | “Someday” | 16 | — | — | — | ||
| “Peace of Mind” | 7 | — | — | — | More | ||
| 1962 | “My Sometime Baby” | 24 | — | — | — | Blues in My Heart | |
| 1963 | “The Road I Travel” | — | — | — | — | Sings Spirituals | |
| 1964 | “How Blue Can You Get” (ABC) | 21 | 97 | — | — | Blues in My Heart | |
| “You’re Gonna Miss Me” (Kent) | — | 107 | — | — | |||
| “Beautician Blues” | 15 | 82 | — | — | Rock Me Baby | ||
| “Help the Poor” (ABC) | 24 | 98 | — | — | |||
| “The Worst Thing in My Life” (Kent) | — | — | — | — | |||
| “Rock Me Baby” | 12 | 34 | — | — | |||
| “Never Trust a Woman” | 29 | 90 | — | — | N/A | ||
| “Please Send Me Someone to Love” | — | — | — | — | Confessin’ the Blues | ||
| 1965 | “I Need You” | — | — | — | — | ||
| “Blue Shadows” (Kent) | 25 | 97 | — | — | Rock Me Baby | ||
| 1966 | “Eyesight to the Blind” | 31 | — | — | — | ||
| “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” | — | — | — | — | N/A | ||
| “Don’t Answer the Door, Pt. I” (ABC) | 2 | 72 | — | — | Blues Is King | ||
| “I Stay in the Mood” (Kent) | 45 | — | — | — | |||
| “Waitin’ for You” (ABC) | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1967 | “It’s a Mean World” (Kent) | 49 | — | — | — | N/A | |
| “The Jungle” | 17 | 94 | — | — | The Jungle | ||
| 1968 | “I Don’t Want You Cuttin’ Off Your Hair” (Bluesway) | — | — | — | — | His Best – The Electric B. B. King | |
| “Paying the Cost to Be the Boss” (Bluesway) | 10 | 39 | — | — | |||
| “I’m Gonna Do What They Do to Me” | 26 | 74 | — | — | Blues on Top of Blues | ||
| “The B. B. Jones” | — | 98 | — | — | His Best – The Electric B. B. King | ||
| “You Put It on Me” | 25 | 82 | — | — | |||
| “The Woman I Love” | 31 | 94 | — | — | |||
| 1969 | “I Want You So Bad” | 34 | 127 | — | — | Live & Well | |
| “Get Off My Back Woman” | 32 | 74 | — | — | |||
| “Why I Sing the Blues” | 13 | 61 | — | — | |||
| “Just a Little Love” | 15 | 76 | — | — | |||
| 1970 | “The Thrill Is Gone” | 3 | 15 | — | — | Completely Well | |
| “So Excited” | 14 | 54 | — | — | |||
| “Hummingbird” | 25 | 48 | — | — | Indianola Mississippi Seeds | ||
| “Worried Life” | 48 | — | — | — | |||
| “Ask Me No Questions” (ABC) | 18 | 40 | — | — | |||
| “Chains and Things” | 6 | 45 | — | — | |||
| 1971 | “Nobody Loves Me But My Mother” | — | — | — | — | ||
| “Help the Poor” (re-recording) | 36 | 90 | — | — | L.A. Midnight | ||
| “Ghetto Woman” | 25 | 68 | — | — | N/A | ||
| “The Evil Child” | 34 | 97 | — | — | |||
| 1972 | “Sweet Sixteen” (re-recording) | 37 | 93 | — | — | L.A. Midnight | |
| “I Got Some Help I Don’t Need” | 28 | 92 | — | — | |||
| “Ain’t Nobody Home” | 28 | 46 | — | — | B. B. King in London | ||
| “Guess Who” | 21 | 62 | — | — | Guess Who | ||
| 1973 | “To Know You Is to Love You” | 12 | 38 | — | — | To Know You Is to Love You | |
| 1974 | “I Like to Live the Love” | 6 | 28 | — | — | ||
| “Who Are You” | 27 | 78 | — | — | |||
| “Philadelphia” | 19 | 64 | — | — | Friends | ||
| 1975 | “My Song” | — | — | — | — | ||
| “Friends” | 34 | — | — | — | |||
| 1976 | “Let the Good Times Roll” | 20 | 101 | — | — | Bobby Bland and B. B. King Together Again…Live | |
| 1977 | “Slow and Easy” | 88 | — | — | — | King Size | |
| 1978 | “Never Make a Move Too Soon” | 19 | 102 | — | — | Midnight Believer | |
| “I Just Can’t Leave Your Love Alone” | 90 | — | — | — | |||
| 1979 | “Better Not Look Down” | 30 | 110 | — | — | Take It Home | |
| 1981 | “There Must Be a Better World Somewhere” | 91 | — | — | — | There Must Be a Better World Somewhere | |
| 1985 | “Into the Night” | 15 | 107 | — | — | Six Silver Strings | |
| “Big Boss Man” / “My Guitar Sings The Blues” | 62 | — | — | — | |||
| 1988 | “When Love Comes to Town” (with U2) | — | 68 | 2 | 6 | Rattle and Hum | |
| 1992 | “The Blues Come Over Me” | 63 | — | — | — | There is Always One More Time | |
| “Since I Met You Baby” (with Gary Moore) | — | — | — | 59 | After Hours | ||
| 2000 | “Riding with the King” (with Eric Clapton) | — | — | 26 | — | Riding with the King | |
