B.B. King Early years: Riley B. King was born into a sharecropper family on September 16, 1925 in Bena, Mississippi. Growing up, King worked on a small cotton plantation making $25 a week. From a small loan, King was able to buy a guitar and take music lessons which resulted in him learning his love for music. King joined the army in 1943 but was released due to his farming abilities. Early influences: Riley B. King was inspired to play guitar by a church minister who taught him how to play. He was also inspired by listening to two blues guitarists Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lonnie Johnson. Riley thought blues was exciting and feeling this laid a path of hope for Riley. Becoming famous: After serving in the army, King made his way to Memphis, Tennessee where he began his career as a disc jockey. King was nicknamed the “Beale Street Blues Boy” but was later shortened to B.B. In 1949, King made his first recording. Shortly after King’s first …show more content…
King played and composed blues music all over the country. He released over 431 tracks over the course of his fifty albums. 75 of these tracks were hits. King won 20 Grammy awards and multiple Hall of Fame awards over the span of his 65-year career. King also got a special gig at the White House. Famous guitar named lucille: B.B. King’s famous guitar Lucille got its name while he was attending a dance at Twist. During the dance, a fire broke loose because a barrel lit with kerosene was knocked over. King was evacuating the dance when he remembered his guitar and almost died trying to retrieve it. King later learned that a woman name Lucille erupted a fight which caused the barrel to fall over. He vowed to never do anything so foolish ever again which is why he named his guitar Lucille to always remind him of his vow. Influencing others: Topic Sentence: B.B. King has influenced many notable musicians such as Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins, Albert King, and Jimi