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B. B. King
Riley B. King aka B. B. King (born September 16, 1925) is a well known American blues guitarist and songwriter. He is among the most respected electric guitarists. One of King's trademarks is naming his guitars "Lucille", a tradition that began in the 1950s.

Recording Years

In 1949, King began recording songs under contract with Los Angeles based RPM Records. Many of King's early recordings were produced by Sam Phillips, who would eventually found the legendary Sun Records. In the 1950s, King became one of the most important names in R&B; music, collecting an impressive list of hits under his belt that included songs like "You Know I Love You," "Woke Up This Morning," "Please Love Me," "When My Heart Beats like a Hammer," "Whole Lotta' Love," "You Upset Me Baby," "Every Day I Have the Blues," "Sneakin' Around," "Ten Long Years," "Bad Luck," "Sweet Little Angel," "On My Word of Honor," and "Please Accept My Love." In 1962, King signed to ABC-Paramount Records. In November of 1964, King recorded the legendary Live at the Regal album at the Regal Theater in Chicago, Illinois.

King first found success outside of the blues market with the 1969 remake of the Roy Hawkins tune, "The Thrill Is Gone," which became a hit on both pop and R&B; charts, which is rare for an R&B; artist even today. King's mainstream success continued throughout the 1970s with songs like "To Know You Is to Love You" and "I Like to Live the Love." From 1951 to 1985, King appeared on Billboard's R&B; charts an amazing 74 times.

Going Mainstream

The 1980s, 1990s and 2000s saw King recording less and less, but maintaining a highly visible and active career appearing on numerous television shows, major motion pictures and performing 300 nights a year. In 1988 he reached a new generation of fans via the single "When Love Comes To Town", together with the Irish band U2. In 2000, King teamed up with guitarist Eric Clapton to record Riding With the King.

In 2004, King was awarded an honorary Ph.D from the University of Mississippi and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music awarded him the Polar Music Prize, for his "significant contributions to the blues". King had also donated his extensive blues collection to the Ole Miss Center for Southern Studies.

In 1997 an Ole Miss Alum tourist was killed by the bouncers in BB King's Memphis Night Club before scores of eyewitness patrons. A growing controversy exists around the murder and BB King has never commented publicly about the crime. Beale Street Club Settles Lawsuit.[1], Murder in Memphis[2].

At 80, King has lived a very full and active life. He has been a licensed pilot, a known gambler and is also a vegetarian, non-drinker and non-smoker. A diabetic for over ten years, King has been a visible spokesman in the fight against diabetes and has appeared in advertisements for diabetes-management products. One example of these ads is one for OneTouch Ultra.

Trivia

 According to Rolling Stone magazine, B.B. King is the greatest living guitarist, and ranked 3rd among greatest gutarists of all time (behind late Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman).  He is mentioned in the Beatles' song "Dig It"

Discography

This discography aims for completeness but is as-yet incomplete.

Albums

1. King of the Blues (1960)

2. My Kind of Blues (1960)

3. Live at the Regal (Live, 1965)

4. Lucille (1968)

5. Live and Well (1969)

6. Indianola Mississippi Seeds (1970)

7. B.B. King In London (1971)

8. Live in Cook County Jail (1971)

9. Lucille Talks Back (1975)

10. Live "Now Appearing" at Ole Miss (1980)

11. There Must Be a Better World Somewhere (1981)

12. Love Me Tender (1982)

13. Why I Sing the Blues (1983)

14. Live at San Quentin (1991)

15. Live at the Apollo (Live, 1991)

16. There is Always One More Time (1991)

17. Riding With The King (2000)

18. Reflections (2003)

19. The Ultimate Collection (2005)

20. B.B. King & Friends: 80 (2005)

Singles

 "Mr. Martha King" (1949, Bullet)

 "Got the Blues" (1949)

 "Mistreated Woman" (1950, RPM)

 "The Other Might Blues" (1950)

 "I Am" (1950)

 "My Baby's Gone" (1950)

 "B.B. Blues" (1951)

 "She's a Mean Woman" (1951)

 "Three O'Clock Blues" (1951)

 "Fine-Looking Woman" (1952)

 "Shake It Up and Go" (1952)

 "Someday, Somewhere" (1952)

 "You Didn't Want Me" (1952)

 "Story from My Heart and Soul" (1952)

 "Woke Up This Morning" (1953)

 "Please Love Me" (1953)

 "Neighborhood Affair" (1953)

 "Why Did You Leave Me" (1953)

 "Praying to the Lord" (1953)

 "Love Me Baby" (1954)

 "Everything I Do Is Wrong" (1954)

 "When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer" (1954)

 "You Upset Me Baby" (1954)

 "Sneaking Around" (1955) R&B;: #14

 "Every Day I Have the Blues" (1955) R&B;: #8 1

 "Lonely and Blue" (1955)

 "Shut Your Mouth" (1955)

 "Talkin' the Blues" (1955)

 "What Can I Do (Just Sing the Blues)" (1955)

 "Ten Long Years" (1955) R&B;: #9 2

 "I'm Cracking Up Over You" (1956)

 "Crying Won't Help You" (1956) R&B;: #15

 "Did You Ever Love a Woman?" (1956)

 "Dark Is the Night, Pts. I & II" (1956)

 "Sweet Little Angel" (1956) R&B;: #6

 "Bad Luck" (1956) R&B;: #3 3

 "On My Word of Honor" (1956) R&B;: #3

 "Early in the Morning" (1957)

 "How Do I Love You" (1957)

 "I Want to Get Married" (1957) R&B;: #14

 "Troubles, Troubles, Troubles" (1957) R&B;: #13 4

 "(I'm Gonna) Quit My Baby" (1957)

 "Be Careful with a Fool" (1957) Pop: #95 5

 "The Key to My Kingdom" (1957)

 "Why Do Everything Happen to Me" (1958, Kent)

 "Don't Look Now, But You Got the Blues" (1958)

 "Please Accept My Love" (1958) R&B;: #9

 "You've Been an Angel" (1958) R&B;: #16 6

 "The Fool" (1958)

 "A Lonely Lover's Plea" (1959)

 "Time to Say Goodbye" (1959)

 "Sugar Mama" (1959)

 "Sweet Sixteen, Pt. I" (1960) R&B;: #2

 "You Done Lost Your Good Thing" (1960)

 "Things Are Not the Same" (1960)

 "Bad Luck Soul" (1960)

 "Hold That Train" (1960)

 "Someday Baby" (1961)

 "Peace of Mind" (1961) R&B;: #7 7

 "Bad Case of Love" (1961)

 "Lonely" (1962)

 "I'm Gonna Sit Till You Give In" (1962, ABC)

 "Down Now" (1962, Kent)

 "The Road I Travel" (1963)

 "The Letter" (1963)

 "Precious Lord" (1963)

 "How Blue Can You Get" (1964, ABC) Pop: #97 8

 "You're Gonna Miss Me" (1964, Kent)

 "Beautician Blues" (1964)

 "Help the Poor" (1964, ABC) Pop: #98 8

 "The Worst Thing in My Life" (1964, Kent)

 "Rock Me Baby" (1964) Pop: #34 8

 "The Hurt" (1964, ABC)

 "Never Trust a Woman" (1964) Pop: #90 8

 "Please Send Me Someone to Love" (1964)

 "Night Owl" (1964)

 "I Need You" (1965)

 "All Over Again" (1965)

 "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water" (1965)

 "Blue Shadows" (1965, Kent)

 "Just a Dream" (1965)

 "You're Still a Square" (1965, ABC)

 "Broken Promise" (1965, Kent)

 "Eyesight to the Blind" (1966)

 "Five Long Years" (1966)

 "Ain't Nobody's Business" (1966)

 "Don't Answer the Door, Pt. I" (1966, ABC) R&B;: #2 Pop: #72

 "I Say in the Mood" (1966, Kent) R&B;: #45

 "Waitin' for You" (1966, ABC)

 "Blues Stay Away" (1967, Kent)

 "The Jungle" (1967)

 "Growing Old" (1967)

 "Blues for Me" (1968)

 "I Don't Want You Cuttin' Off Your Hair" (1967, Bluesway)

 "Shoutin' the Blues" (1968, Kent)

 "Paying the Cost to Be the Boss" (1968, Bluesway) R&B;: #10 Pop: #39

 "I'm Gonna Do What They Do to Me" (1968) R&B;: #26 Pop: #74

 "The B. B. Jones" (1968) Pop: #98

 "You Put It on Me" (1968) R&B;: #25 Pop: #82 9

 "The Woman I Love" (1968) R&B;: #31 Pop: #94

 "Get Myself Somebody" (1969)

 "I Want You So Bad" (1969)

 "Get Off My Back Woman" (1969) R&B;: #32 Pop: #74 10

 "Why I Sing the Blues" (1969) R&B;: #13 Pop: #61

 "Just a Little Love" (1969) R&B;: #15 Pop: #76

 "I Want You So Bad" (1969) R&B;: #34

 "The Thrill Is Gone" (1970) R&B;: #3 Pop: #15

 "So Excited" (1970) R&B;: #14 Pop: #54

 "Hummingbird" (1970) R&B;: #25 Pop: #48

 "Worried Life" (1970) R&B;: #48

 "Ask Me No Questions" (1970, ABC) R&B;: #18 Pop: #40

 "Chains and Things" (1970) R&B;: #6 Pop: #45

 "Nobody Loves Me But My Mother" (1971)

 "Help the Poor" (1971, re-recording) R&B;: #36 Pop: #90

 "Ghetto Woman" (1971) R&B;: #18 Pop: #40

 "The Evil Child" (1971) R&B;: #34 Pop: #97

 "Sweet Sixteen" (1972, re-recording) R&B;: #37 Pop: #93

 "I Got Some Help I Don't Need" (1972) R&B;: #28 Pop: #92

 "Ain't Nobody Home" (1972) R&B;: #28 Pop: #46

 "Guess Who" (1972) R&B;: #21 Pop: #62

 "To Know You Is to Love You" (1973) R&B;: #12 Pop: #38

 "I Like to Live the Love" (1974) R&B;: #6 Pop: #28

 "Who Are You" (1974) R&B;: #27 Pop: #78

 "Philadelphia" (1974) R&B;: #19 Pop: #64

 "My Song" (1975)

 "Friends" (1975) R&B;: #34 11

 "Let the Good Times Roll" (1976) R&B;: #20

 "Slow and Easy" (1977) R&B;: #88

 "Never Make a Move Too Soon" (1978) R&B;: #19

 "I Just Can't Leave Your Love Alone" (1978) R&B;: #90

 "Better Not Look Down" (1979) R&B;: #30

 "There Must Be a Better World Somewhere" (1981) R&B;: #91

 "Into the Night" (1985) R&B;: #15

 "Big Boss Man" (1985) R&B;: #62

 "When Love Comes to Town" (1988, with U2) Rock: #2 Pop: #68 12

 "The Blues Come Over Me" (1992) R&B;: #63

 "Riding with the King" (2000, with Eric Clapton) Rock: #26

Notes:

1. "Everyday I Have the Blues" was the b-side to "Sneaking Around."

2. "Ten Long Years" was the b-side to "What Can I Do (Just Sing the Blues)."

3. "Bad Luck" was the b-side to "Sweet Little Angel."

4. "Troubles, Troubles, Troubles" was the b-side to "I Want to Get Married."

5. "Be Careful with a Fool" was the b-side to "(I'm Gonna) Quit My Baby."

6. "You've Been an Angel" was the b-side to "Please Accept My Love."

7. "Peace of Mind" was the b-side of "Someday Baby."

8. Billboard Magazine did not publish an R&B; Singles chart between November 1963 and January 1965.

9. "You Put It On Me" was the b-side of "The B.B. Jones."

10. "Get Off My Back Woman" was the b-side of "I Want You So Bad."

1. "Friends" was the b-side of "My Song."

2. "When Love Comes to Town" was the first B.B. King single to chart on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

Videos

Compilations

1. The Electric B.B. King — His Best (1960)

2. Great Moments with B.B. King (1981)

3. The King of the Blues: 1989 (1988)

4. Got My Mojo Working (1989)

5. King of the Blues (Box Set, 1992)

6. Why I Sing the Blues (1992)

7. Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: B.B. King; (2003)

8. Ultimate Collection (2005)

As-Yet Uncategorised Recordings

1. Blues Summit; 1993

2. How Blue Can You Get? Live Performances; 1996

3. Deuces Wild; 1997

4. Take it Home; 1998

5. His Best — The Electric B.B. King; 1998

6. Completely Well; 1998

7. Greatest Hits; 1998

8. Blues on the Bayou; 1998

9. Millennium Collection — 20th Century Masters; 1999

10. His Definitive Greatest Hits; app. 1999

11. Live in Japan; 1999

12. Let the Good Times Roll; 1999

13. Makin' Love is Good for You; 2000

14. Anthology; 2000

15. Live at San Quentin (Remastered); 2001

16. Here & There — The Uncollected B.B. King; 2001

17. A Christmas Collection of Hope; 2001

18. Blues is King; 2002

19. Christmas Collection — 20th Century Masters; 2003

Reflections; 2003

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