B.B. King and the Evolution of Blues

introduction

B.B. King, born Riley B. King, was an African American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who played a pivotal role in the popularity of blues music. With a long and prosperous career, B.B. overcame triumphs to become the award winning musician that generations of americans know him as. Keep reading to learn more!

demographic information

King was born in 1925 on a plantation in the Mississippi Delta, an area deeply rooted in southern gospel tradition. Raised by his grandmother after his mother and father separated and later passed away, both sharecroppers, he turned to guitar playing on the street corner in order to provide for himself. Although he sang in his local Baptist church choir, he found himself drawn to the more electric music of the Pentecostal church. 

Later, he took a job as a disc jockey at WDIA radio station in Memphis, Tennessee, which is where he earned his nickname, “Blues Boy” King. Working here gave him the exposure he needed, as it lead to a recording contract with Modern Records in the early 1950s, where he recorded some of his early songs. 

career, hardship, and the blues

B.B. Kings style on the electric guitar was characterized by his expressive and heavy vibrato. Lots of guitarists around his time focused on technicality and precision, whereas King focused on melodies that were meant to convey emotion through his songs to the audience. His infamous guitar name Lucille helped him do this. It was a Gibson ES-355 that played a very smooth and warm tone. His style blended blues, jazz, and gospel, which allowed him to appeal to a broad audience, as well as influence musicians from a variety of backgrounds. 

With Modern Records, he recorded “Three O’Clock Blues” in 1952, which kickstarted his fame and commenced the start of his tours. Before this breakout, however, King did many small tours across different regions of the United States in small clubs and juke joints. At one show in Arkansas, there was a fight that broke out between two men over a woman named Lucille, that ended up causing a fire. After running back into the building to retrieve his guitar, King then named his famous guitar Lucille as a personal reminder to not fight over women. 

He went on to release a large list of chart topping hits throughout the 1950s, and booking major venues for his tours, which were often extremely long hours and very frequent. In 1956, he founded his own record label called Blues Boys Kingdom located on Beale Street in Memphis, a hub for Black jazz musicians. 

As the years went on King began to reach a broader audience, which only spoke to his level of talent and relatability. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2014. 

He was later diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure, and in 2015 died in his sleep from vascular dementia as a consequence of small strokes caused by his type 2 diabetes. He was buried at the B.B. King Museum. 

popular songs

  • 3 O’Clock Blues 
  • You Know I Love You 
  • Woke Up This Morning
  • Please Love Me 
  • When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer
  • Please Accept My Love 
  • The Thrill Is Gone
  • Sweet Home Chicago

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