Many fathers and mothers of the blues made a lasting mark. Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Bessie Smith, Skip James, Ma Rainey are among the pioneers, and a long line of teachers followed—Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Etta James, John Lee Hooker—each shaping the sound. A vast chorus of artists across eras echoed these foundations, from Howlin Wolf to Eric Clapton, Freddie King, Taj Mahal, Koko Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Janis Joplin, Keb Mo, and Joe Bonamassa. Yet there is one acknowledged king of the twelve-bar blues, BB King, the best ambassador the blues ever had. His distinctive guitar voice and relentless stage presence turned him into a global beacon. Without BB King’s extraordinary talent, the blues would have developed differently, and the history of modern music would be poorer for the loss of the blue notes associated with Lucille, now a defining flavor of the genre.
BB King, in the biography King of the Blues, as told by journalist Daniel De Visé, was born Riley B. King in rural Mississippi in 1925. The future path for him, like for many African Americans of his generation, unfolded under the weight of rural poverty and harsh racial discrimination. His mother’s early death and a stutter posed additional obstacles to his dream of becoming an artist whose records his aunt and family members listened to. His earliest musical sparks came from church choirs that moved worshippers with gospel songs and from visits by his cousin Bukka White, a local blues luminary of the time. His first instrument was a homemade guitar crafted from a broom handle and a length of wire. He later recalled that when he pressed the string, the sound sparked something new in him, as if he were already making music.
Inspired by Lonnie Johnson and influenced by the works of Blind Lemon Jefferson and T-Bone Walker, the young guitarist decided to overcome his speech impediment by singing softly to his guitar. He imagined a path as a preacher who would energize his parishioners with music, but he discovered that the blues offered greater rewards. He began performing street shows to supplement the very low wages he earned as a sharecropper and tractor driver. In a small Arkansas village in 1949, a recital turned chaotic when a bucket of kerosene was toppled during a drunken altercation near the stage. The room caught fire, and the audience fled. Riley realized his Gibson L-30 was left behind on the platform as he escaped. He faced a crisis with his own safety, but the moment also birthed a new idea he would carry forever. He chose to name all his guitars Lucille after the incident, so he would never forget the folly that sparked the legend.
His rise continued with the opportunity to sing on air thanks to Sonny Boy Williamson II, a radio DJ at KWEN who gave him his first real stage. Hearing listeners praise his performances, he soon became the interim DJ at WDIA, the first station dedicated entirely to African American audiences. His stage name evolved from Beale Street Blues Boy to Blues Boy, and finally to BB. WDIA’s airwaves helped reshape American music, influencing peers and rivals alike, including Elvis Presley, who formed a notable, respectful friendship with BB King. Presley admired BB King’s bearing and courtesy, recalling how polite and gracious he was.
BB King’s first major hit, 3 O’Clock Blues, climbed to the top of the Billboard R&B chart in 1952. From that moment, his career accelerated, and he channeled his early experiences into a guitar style that captivated audiences. Early on, he spent on luxuries briefly, but his guitar work soon established him as a blues icon. Songs such as I Got the Blues This Morning, Every Day I Have the Blues, Let the Good Times Roll, and The Thrill Is Gone became cornerstone tracks in his catalog. The reign of BB King continued into the late stages of his life, and his signature vibrato and countless guitar licks resonated with multiple generations of players. He performed more than fifteen thousand concerts across the world over sixty years, maintaining a close connection with listeners until the end. His passing in 2015 at the age of eighty-nine left a lasting echo, a sentiment echoed by many who heard his music.
In reflecting on his influence, many among the guitar pantheon — Clapton, Santana, Hendrix, Duane Allman, Billy Gibbons, Peter Green, Johnny Winter, and Robert Cray — credit BB King as a primary inspiration. His legacy lives on through the endless stream of players who learned from his recordings, his phrasing, and his ability to bend notes into a voice that felt both intimate and triumphant. The legend of the king endures in the way his notes continue to move listeners and fellow musicians alike, a testament to a life spent sharing the blues with honesty and power.
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