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It is with sadness that I say B.B. King, the legendary blues guitarist passed away peacefully at his home on Thursday, May 14, 2015. He was in hospice care at his home.
B.B.King is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter. That is the simple definition of a man who has sold more than 50 albums and millions of records worldwide. To further define his accomplishments one can readily see why his contributions to Blues music rank him in the best of the best.
In 2011 Rolling Stone Magazine said that he was ranked 6th on its list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”
Some little known facts about B.B. are: In the mid 1940’s he worked at a Memphis radio station WDIA. During the time he worked at the radio station he got his nickname ‘Beale Street Blues Boy’ which was later shortened to B.B.
In 1949 when he was playing in a hall in Arkansas the hall was heated by burning barrels filled with kerosene. During the show a fight broke out between two men who tipped over one of the barrels and a fire erupted. Everyone scattered outside and when B.B. realized that he had left his guitar inside he rushed back in to retrieve it. When he got back outside he was talking to some folks and learned that the fight was over a woman named Lucille. He then decided from then on to name his guitars Lucille and to remind him to never get in a fight over a lady.
He had Type II diabetes for over 20 years and was a high-profile spokesman in the fight against the disease.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s, like many of the top artists at the time, he was hard working. He did numerous appearances on Television shows and concerts. He was doing 300 appearances a year which is something unheard of in this day and age.
Some of the more notable awards B.B. has received are induction into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He was also awarded the National Medal of the Arts in 1990, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006, and an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Music by Brown University.
In terms of Grammys B.B. King was given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement in 1987 and as of 2009 had won 15 Grammy awards several of which are for Best Traditional Blues album.
Some songs of B.B. that I really like are “I’ll Survive,””Blues Man,” “Darlin’ What Happened,” “Shake It Up and Go,” “If I Lost You,” “Blues in G,” and “If That Ain’t It I Quit.” One of the most popular crossover hits of his in the 1970’s was “The Thrill is Gone.”
With everything that’s been mentioned you have been given a rare glimpse into the man who just oozed blues both vocally and musically. He is the one who will come to mind when the music genre of Blues is brought up. He truly is a legend to be cherished.
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Source by Paul Romaine