B.B. King is considered one of the greatest blues guitarists of the late twentieth century. Playing his trademark Gibson guitar, affectionately named Lucille, King's voice-like string bends, left-hand vibrato, single-string runs and "bent" chords hav...more B.B. King is considered one of the greatest blues guitarists of the late twentieth century. Playing his trademark Gibson guitar, affectionately named Lucille, King's voice-like string bends, left-hand vibrato, single-string runs and "bent" chords have influenced countless musicians like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour and Buddy Guy. King picked cotton as a youth and played guitar on the streets before moving on to perform professionally in Memphis around 1949, where he was dubbed "Beale Street Blues Boy." Eventually Blues Boy was shortened to B.B., and the nickname stuck. The sixties blues revival introduced him to white audiences, and by 1966 he was appearing regularly on rock concert circuits and getting airplay on the radio while maintaining a solid black following. King, who aspired to be the "ambassador of the blues," has continued to keep the blues before mainstream audiences through his frequent appearances on television and on tours. Concert tickets to his performances are among the most coveted of true blues fans....less |
