B.B. King - How Blue Can You Get

Riley B. King aka B.B. King was born on September 26th, 1925 in Itta Bena, MS. He is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter accalaimed for his expressive singing and guitar playing. It was at age 12 that King purchased his first guitar for $15. When he turned 21 (1946), King set off with his cousin Bukka White en route to Memphis, TN. It wasn't long before King left Tennessee and headed back to Mississippi to better prepare himself for the next visit. The year 1948 proved to be his best move to getting a start in the business. He worked at KWEM radio station in West Memphis, AR eventually acquiring his nickname and meeting T-Bone Walker for the first time. B.B. is a liscensed private pilot and has flown himself to many of his gigs. It was in 1995 that his manager and his insurance company asked him to fly with another liscensed pilot. His favorite singer is Frank Sinatra and he named his guitar Lucille. He has been named the #3 greatest guitar player of all time by Rolling Stone, and over his 52 year career, has played in excess of 15,000 performances. This video is from his younger years performing "How Blue Can You Get" at Sing Sing Prison.

http://www.bbking.com/

http://www.bbkingmuseum.org/

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