BB King

l - - : This is a unoffcial BB King Tribute Website. I am in no way BB King or trying to be Mr King, this site is devoted to him. : - - l Even under another name B.B. King would still be one of the Kings of blues. Born in 1925 as Riley B. King this blues guitarist and songwriter learned his first three chords from his preacher. After B.B. King hitchhiked to Memphis his cousin, country blues guitarist Bukka White, helped B.B. King perfect his guitar skills. He began to broadcast his music live on a Memphis radio station under various stage names and eventually one of them, Blues Boy, was just shortened to B.B.By 1949 B.B. King was recording songs and became a strong force in R&B music in the 1950s. B.B. King amassed 74 hits on Billboards R&B charts between 1951 and 1985. His 1969 remake of The Thrill is Gone gave B.B. King his first crossover hit on the pop charts, a rare feat at the time. B.B. King recorded less after the 1980s but continued to play full touring schedules and make numerous television guest appearances. Many modern artists have asked B.B. King to collaborate both on record and onstage including Eric Clapton, Phish, and U2.In 2003 Rolling Stone magazine named B.B. King the greatest living guitarist, and ranked him 3rd among the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. The practice of naming his guitars Lucille is said to come from an early fire scare in which B.B. King foolishly reentered a burning building to claim his guitar. The fire, which killed two people, was the result of a bar fight over a woman named Lucille.B.B. King has recorded more than 50 albums including the 2005 release B.B. King & Friends: 80 in 2005. He has received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame. B.B. King has opened a number of Blues Clubs and still tours extensively.