The Blues Kings Part 1
The Blues Kings – B.B. Albert and Freddie were undoubtedly major influences on most of today’s top guitarists and laid the foundation for contemporary music as we hear it today. Sadly only B. B King is still around and even at the age of 80 he still gigs regulary with his own band, many of whom are not far off that age as well
Quite how the world’s best blues guitarists came to be appropriately named King is one of life’s mysteries and defies explanation especially as they are totally unrelated. Nevertheless, Kings they truly remain and their place in musical history is assured.
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Riley B (BB)
Riley B. King - better known as B.B. King was born September 16, 1925 in Mississippi, near Indianola. In 1947 after years honing his craft on guitar on the streets he hitchhiked to Memphis which had a large African American community and was a magnet for blues musicians. He learnt all about the blues from his cousin Bukka White , a highly respected blues performer of that time.
B. B first broke through via radio station WDIA in Memphis, his regular 10 minute “Kings Spot” became very popular and was expanded into a full program. However Riley B King needed a catchy name and this became Blues Boy King and consequently B.B. King
At one of his gigs in the 50s a fight broke out and a stove turned over setting fire to the hall. B.B. raced outdoors and realized that he left his beloved acoustic guitar inside, so he foolishly rushed back inside the burning building to retrieve it, narrowly escaping death. The fight had been over a woman named Lucille and from that point on he decided to give the name to his guitar as a reminder to never do crazy things like fight over a woman. Ever since, all of B.B.'s Gibson guitars has been called Lucille.
Over the years, B.B. has integrated blues, jazz, swing and pop into a unique style that makes him one the most identifiable guitarists in the world. His guitar phrasing is such that it becomes an extension of his voice.
In 1969, B.B. opened the show for all the Rolling Stones American concerts. This was deliberately planned to show the mainly white affluent audiences states that the so called Brit blues explosion was indeed the music of their own country men which up until that point had been snubbed as negro rubbish.
B.B always has acknowledged that had it not been for the British bands and public he would not be the success he has become today. B.B. was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He has opened B.B Kings Blues Clubs in Memphis, L.A, New York and Conneticut. B.B. continues to tour but age limits his performances these days and he now play’s sitting down letting his highly accomplished band do most of the work. But he is still in charge and along with Lucille still maintains a magnetic presence.