Redirected from: BB King

See all 42 pictures

Play B.B. King Radio

B.B. King

On Tour

5,112,331 plays (406,895 listeners)
In your library (0 plays)

279 shouts

Add to my Library Share

Itta Bena MS, United States (1925 – present)

Riley B. King aka B. B. King (born September 16th, 1925 in Itta Bena, Mississippi) is a well known American blues guitarist and songwriter. He is among the most respected electric guitarists.

One of King’s trademarks is naming his guitar (Gibson ES335) “Lucille”. In the 1950s in a bar in Twist, Arkansas two men got into a fight, accidentally knocking over a bucket of burning kerosene (used for heating) and setting the establishment on fire. Risking his life, B.B. King ran back into the collapsing building to retrieve his guitar. King later found out that the two men had been fighting over a woman named Lucille. He named his guitar after her to remind himself never to do something so stupid again.

King began broadcasting his music live on a Memphis radio station called WDIA. At first, he used the name The Peptikon Boy on air, which later was changed to The Beale Street Blues Boy, and then further shortened to just Blues Boy or B.B.

His first hit on the r&b charts was “Three O’Clock in the Morning” in 1951. King became one of the most influential electric guitarists in history, one example being a young Eric Clapton citing B.B. as his biggest influence. He has been the primary international goodwill ambassador for the blues decade after decade.

King first found success outside of the blues market with the 1968 remake of the Roy Hawkins tune, The Thrill Is Gone, which became a hit on both pop and rhythm and blues charts, a rare feat for an R&B artist to this day. King’s mainstream success continued throughout the 1970s with songs like

To Know You Is To Love You and

I Like To Live The Love.

Tagged as:

blues, guitar, jazz, blues rock, classic rock
See more…

Similar Artists

Top Albums

How Blue Can You Get
B.B. King
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.91
- 7digital $7.77
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon $0.52
- eBay Search
New
Favorites
B.B. King
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $9.49
- 7digital $7.77
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
New
Anthology (disc 1)
B.B. King
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
King of the Blues Guitar
B.B. King
Buy
- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon $39.98
- eBay Search

Top Tracks

1	The Thrill Is Gone full track	2,462
2	Paying The Cost To Be The Boss full track	655
3	Please Love Me full track	641
4	How Blue Can You Get? full track	547
5	Why I Sing The Blues full track	531
6	How Blue Can You Get full track	519
7	Sweet Little Angel full track	500
8	You Upset Me Baby full track	471
9	Ain't Nobody Home full track	448
10	Sweet Sixteen full track	447
11	Three O'Clock Blues full track	415
12	Chains And Things full track	369
13	Hummingbird full track	362
13	Rock Me Baby full track	362
15	I Like To Live The Love full track	357

Shoutbox

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up (it’s free).

CynthiaKhel wrote:
Monday evening

breve no Brasil.

View Profile | Leave CynthiaKhel a shout
battleaxed wrote:
Sunday evening

"I gave you a $10 dinner, you said thanks for the snack." Ahh how times have changed.

View Profile | Leave battleaxed a shout
monikblondy21 wrote:
Sunday morning

wonderful singer and songwriter,a great artist!

View Profile | Leave monikblondy21 a shout
darmik89 wrote:
Wednesday afternoon

number one of blues music :))

View Profile | Leave darmik89 a shout
Letagere wrote:
last week

long live King ..all respect

View Profile | Leave Letagere a shout
skowrons wrote:
last month

B.B. the King of Blues [6]

View Profile | Leave skowrons a shout
ksmm5466 wrote:
last month

Does anyone know of a live recording from September 1997 in Chicago?

View Profile | Leave ksmm5466 a shout
mephistoledger wrote:
last month

long live King ..all respect

View Profile | Leave mephistoledger a shout
ArcturusXIV wrote:
last month

mother was at concert day martin luther died

View Profile | Leave ArcturusXIV a shout
ROWANNN wrote:
last month

KING!!!

View Profile | Leave ROWANNN a shout
miqmiranda wrote:
last month

hmm....GOD!!

View Profile | Leave miqmiranda a shout
majordibz wrote:
last month

just bought a ticket for the brazilian concert in Rio. seeing the king for the second time! :) hail to the king of blues!!!!

View Profile | Leave majordibz a shout
pardavejas wrote:
last month

Hendrix of Blues.

View Profile | Leave pardavejas a shout
thelawyersclerk wrote:
last month

I saw B.B. King live in 1981 after listening to him for years. He was astonishing then and still is.

View Profile | Leave thelawyersclerk a shout
HoLyGuN1907 wrote:
last month

B.B. the King of Blues (5)

View Profile | Leave HoLyGuN1907 a shout
Kutaaa wrote:
last month

B.B. the King of Blues [4]

View Profile | Leave Kutaaa a shout
Maste90 wrote:
last month

I bought today the tickets for see him in chile! i'm so exited, i really can't wait 27 march (i hope he don't die in the months that left)

View Profile | Leave Maste90 a shout
MBLark wrote:
last month

definitely going to see him live.

View Profile | Leave MBLark a shout
s00slik wrote:
last month

Great man!

View Profile | Leave s00slik a shout
UmaBesta wrote:
December 2009

isto é que é bom blues

View Profile | Leave UmaBesta a shout

See all 279 shouts

Videos

Events

Feb 11 B.B. King D.A.R. Constitution Hall, Washington DC, United States
Add shout | 7 attendees
Feb 12 B.B. King & Buddy Guy United Palace Theatre, New York NY, United States
1 shout | 7 attendees
Feb 13 B.B. King & Buddy Guy Caesars Atlantic City, Atlantic City, United States
Add shout | 1 attendee

Add event See more

News

Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN | 2/09/2010 | Concert

6 Nov 2009 | from www.bbking.com

CO-HEADLINE WITH BUDDY GUY http://ticketsus.at/dano615?CTY=37&LID=FEB09&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1B004339C47F632E?artistid=769912&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=4

Add comment

Von Braun Center, Huntsville, AL | 1/07/2010 | Concert
6 Nov 2009 | from www.bbking.com
Add comment
Fox Theater, Atlanta, GA | 2/06/2010 | Concert
6 Nov 2009 | from www.bbking.com
Add comment
Mabee Center Arena, Tulsa, OK | 12/31/2009 | Concert
6 Nov 2009 | from www.bbking.com
Add comment

Listeners

chrldr817
Listening now
to Sweet sixteen, 01 and 02
mlynek6
Listening now
to Tomorrow Night
ryanriggs
Listening now
to 08-Call It Stormy Monday…
narcelio
Top Listener
Mrtvic
Top Listener
wearyaswater
Top Listener

Recent Activity

Terrorrasta, rmaxwell128, TaninAA and 6 other people added B.B. King to their libraries. 55 minutes ago
ham649ton tagged B.B. King with ‘classic blues’. yesterday evening
cinthyalves, reActiv84, loosehead304 and 27 other people added B.B. King to their libraries. yesterday evening
Digger3 updated the Polish wiki page for B.B. King. (diff) Monday evening
tsv1966, OogityBoogity11, bmcleroy7 and 1 other person added B.B. King to their libraries. Monday evening
leinadodlavso tagged B.B. King with ‘blues’. Monday evening
muratuluturk, covy66, Perfect13th and 7 other people added B.B. King to their libraries. Monday evening
A deleted user connected B.B. King to the group Destroy Angst-Rock. Monday afternoon
Vactar83, limbolab, lironhallak and 40 other people added B.B. King to their libraries. Monday morning
ManfredMoon created the German wiki page for Blues Summit. November 2009