BB King

Riley King was born on September 16th, 1925, on a plantation in Itta Bena, near Indianola, Mississippi. His early years were spent living with various relatives, including his mother, father and grandmother. His mother and grandmother were very religious and Riley’s first true musical influence was the preacher at the church, Archie Fair. The preacher was the brother in law of Riley’s uncle. Riley’s fascination with music and the guitar, led Archie to teach Riley a few chords and begin singing in church.   Riley soon formed a gospel-singing group. 

In 1943, He moved to Indianola with his cousin Birkett Davies, and landed a job as a tractor driver.  Soon afterwards he had a new group and a new girlfriend.    The new group as called the Famous St John Gospel Singers.  They sang mostly at churches as well as occasionally on radio programmes.   Riley also played the blues on street corners on Saturday nights.   The blues musician Bukka White, who was Riley’s mother’s cousin, was a reguloar visitor to Riley’s house when he was younger.  Riley soon discovered that playing the blues could earn him more money than his wages paid.  After meeting several more bluesmen, he decided that his future was with the blues.

After marrying his first wife, Martha Denton in 1944, and being released from National Service, Riley tried, but failed to convince his gospel group to leave Indianola to seek their fame and fortune, so he went alone, and in 1946 he headed for Memphis.

Riley spent a couple of days searching for Bukka White on the streets of Memphis, before finding him.  For the next ten months, taught Riley the blues.  Riley’s playing improved, and he often jammed with other musicians.

Despite all he had learnt, Riley felt that his career wasn’t going the way he wanted it to, and he decided to return to Indianola.  In 1947 he and his wife raised a crop, and Riley had enough money to pay off his debts.  1948 saw Riley head back to Memphis and try again.

Back in Memphis, he found Sonny Boy Williamson who had a radio programme. Riley asked if he could play on his show, and Sonny agreed. The reaction was fantastic, and the station was inundated with calls.

This led to Riley playing at Miss Annie’s Saloon in West Memphis.   Miss Annie told him that in order to play her Saloon regularly, he’d need to promote it on the radio.  Riley asked Nat Williams, a DJ on WDIA, if he could make a record.  The stations owners agreed, and Riley had a ten minute slot in which he could sing and play what he liked, as long as he promoted the product Pepticon.

Riley soon became known as the Pepticon Boy, and soon he had his own radio show.  He changed his nickname from the Beale Street Blues Boy, to Blues Boy, and finally to BB King.

BB King’s fame and popularity soon spread, and he made his first record in 1949. He released six singles in 1949, and his public appearances and the radio airplay of his songs led to him building up a following and he soon became the top attraction at many juke joints.  At this point BB required a manager, and found one in Robert Henry, who was a pool hall owner who also ran a record shop an amusement arcade and a few restaurants.

In 1952, BB King’s 7th single, 3 0 Clock Blues was number one in the Billboard R&B chart, and stayed there for 15 weeks. BB King then undertook his first national tour.  Incredibly the band played 342 nights.  Touring put a tremendous strain on his marriage, and whilst on tour, Martha filed for divorce.

The tour lasted 6 months and BB stayed on the road for 18 months still working for WDIA. He changed his manager for one more used to dealing with nationwide tours, and bought a Greyhound bus.     In 1958, BB married Sue Hall, but this marriage broke down in 1966 again, due to the pressures of touring.

During a show in the 1950s, two men were fighting over a woman, and the kerosene heater heating the hall was knocked over, causing a fire.  BB King went back into the burning building to rescue his guitar.  He found out that the men were fighting over a woman called Lucille.  BB called his guitar and all subsequent guitars Lucille to remind him not to fight over a woman!

Rock and Roll saw many performers gain exposure and fame and fortune.  Others though, including BB King were less fortunate.  Despite changing his record label and booking agency, BB King was unable to breakthrough to the American mainstream. 

1965 saw white Americans exposed to black blues music for the first time, at the Newport Folk Festival.  Musicians such as Son House and Mississippi John Hurt played in front of white audiences for the first time.  The Butterfield Blues Band saw musicians Paul Butterfield Elvin Bishop and Mike Bloomfield gain a strong following, and they cited their main influence as BB King, who very few people had heard of.  Thanks to his new-found popularity, and a hit record, The Thrill is Gone, BB king had arrived.

Since then, BB King has toured relentlessly, and even now, in his 80s he still managed over 250 shows a year.  His continuing fame and popularity are testament to his ability and slick shows.  His guitar technique is outstanding, and instantly recognisable thanks to his bends and vibrato technique, and his trademark Lucille guitar.  BB King’s signature guitar is a modified black Gibson ES355, with no F holes. 

BB King has released over 50 albums, including collaborations with Eric Clapton and Joan Baez, and was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.  He has also received many honorary degrees and doctorates. His influence can be heard in all of the modern blues guitarists from Eric Clapton onwards.

BB King continues to tour and record today, and is still as important and influential as ever.  He is named by almost all guitarists and not just blues guitarists when asked about their influences.