Lucille:
Perhaps B.B. 's most identifiable trademark is his guitar Lucille. Lucille has been with B.B. since 1949. She had obtained the name by a crazy incident that happened at one of his stops in Twist, Arkansas. The place he was playing at was heated by a large barrel of kerosene in the center of the room. Two men started fighting and knocked over the barrel. The burning fuel spilled over the floor. Every one ran out including B. B. Once outside, B.B. realized that he left his guitar. He went back inside the collapsing building to save it, almost losing his life in the process. The next morning, B.B. discovered why the two men were fighting. They were fighting over a lady named Lucille. B. B. then named his guitar Lucille "to remind him never to do a thing like that again."
In the Beginning:
From his humble beginnings as a sharecropping farmer, to his rise to musical stardom B. B. King lived a life that would make just about anyone sing the blues. The year was 1925 ... In the area of Mississippi known as the "Delta", and Riley B. King was born on September 16 in a small sharecropper's cabin near the town of Itta Bena. Riley that is B. B. s real name and his parents Albert and Nora Ella King, were hardworking sharecropping farmers who had lived in Mississippi all of their lives. Riley's mother left his father for another man when Riley was only 4 years old. She moved back into the hills east of the Delta and sent Riley to live in the nearby Kilmicheal with his maternal grandmother, Elnora. Riley's father Albert did not interfere, and lost touch with his wife and son. Riley lived off and on with his mother and two subsequent stepfathers, but most of the time he stayed with his grandmother.
Riley's mother and grandmother were both very religious and he attended services with them .It was here at church where young Riley had his first true musical influence. The preacher, Archie Fair was an important musical inspiration to Riley. Music was the main tool used by Archie to bring the congregation together as one. Riley's dominant singing style with the congregation helped to develop his powerful charismatic influence for his future audiences.
Riley's mother died in the summer of 1935, when he was only 9 years old. He then lived with his grandmother whom died 5 years later. Riley still had his Uncle William and his aunt Mimy, both of whom were sharecroppers but neither family had either the resources or the room to support Riley. Riley continued to live at his grandmother's cabin and farmed one acre of land to raise a cotton crop. He barely made enough money to live that year, and in the fall of 1940, Riley moved to Lexington to live with his father.
B.B. King: Rise to Stardom:
B. B. King's rise to musical stardom started by becoming a DJ which made B. B.'s popularity grow. Although none of the recordings were a national success, yet, locally B.B. was quite popular. B.B.'s airplay of his records, along with his public appearances, built him a steady circuit of Roadhouses and juke joints where he was the top attraction. B.B. was a local celebrity, but outside of Memphis, no one had heard of him. " As a result of his new found success, B.B.'s marriage was now under a heavy strain. Without any children, the couple had to either travel on the road together, or separate during tours. Martha King knew that as an entertainer, B.B. was subject to adoring young female fans. It was only a matter of time before the couple of 8 years got a divorce. Although he was crushed, it inspired him to write the song "Woke Up This Morning," which was his first big hit after "Three O'clock Blues."
In 1955, B.B. had 13 members in the band, and a total of 18 persons with him on the road. In 1958 near Dallas, more tragedy struck and the band was involved in an accident. As there bus was crossing a bridge; a car was trying to pass it while an oil tanker truck had entered the bridge on the other end. The driver of the car came so close to the bus while passing it that the bus driver had to swerve to avoid hitting the car. The swerve caused the bus to hit the bridge embankment and caromed into the path of the truck, hitting it head on. Surprisingly no one on the bus was hurt, but the truck burst into flames. The band members had to crawl out of the back windows of the bus. The two truck drivers died in that crash.
B.B. King was not on the bus. When he heard the news, he was glad that no one on the bus was hurt, but he realized that the accident couldn't have come at a worse time. The Friday before the crash, B.B.'s insurance on the bus had been dropped. He took the risk of operating over the weekend and renewing the policy on Monday. B.B.'s liability was settled at just under $100,000, it took years to pay off the debt and he also had to get a new bus. The new bus marked a transition in B.B.'s career. He had a loyal following and was a major artist in his field. He married his second wife, Sue Hall, on June 4, 1958. They bought a house in Los Angeles. Sue began making a home there, but B.B. was rarely in town. As was the case in his first marriage, the tension of B.B. constantly on the road drove the couple to break up. B.B. and Sue King were divorced in 1966, which he responded to by recording his biggest hit " The Thrill is Gone."
Changing the times and breaking the barriers:
B.B. King has also been referred to as "The Ambassador of the Blues." He helped brake the barriers on the transition of blues to Middle America. Although he was a well known star on the "chitlin circuit" during the 1950's and 60's, B.B. King was relatively unknown to Middle America until the late 1960's. The birth of Rock & Roll music made stars of many black performers such as Little Richard, Fats Domino, James Brown and Chuck Berry. Unfortunately for B.B., race music remained isolated from mainstream white America. B.B. was frustrated, prior to 1968 he had made no more than two appearances before white audiences, and both were disasters. Despite the setbacks, B.B.'s music was better than ever. B.B. broke through the barriers of race and national boundaries when he recorded "The Thrill Is Gone." The song shot up to #15 on the Pop charts and topped out at #3 on the R&B charts in 1970.
In the 18 months following the peak popularity of "The Thrill Is Gone," B.B. made his first network TV appearance on the "Tonight Show," With all his new triumphs, the most symbolic was his appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1971. Playing on the Sullivan show was a sign that a new performer had arrived with the American public.
B.B. King: Accomplishments:
Outside of B.B. King's numerous recordings and concerts, he has been presented with several honors.
Member of the Blues Hall of Fame, 1984
Member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 1987
Grammy Awards Lifetime Achievement Award, 1987
Presidential Medal of the Arts, 1990
Honorary Doctorate of Music, Yale University
Seven Grammy Awards
B.B. King: The Influences:
B. B. King is one of the most influential guitarists of our time and has had a major impact on the development of modern blues and rock & roll music. B.B. has also influenced many of musicians, such as Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He feels that the most important aspect of being a blues artist is the craft of performing before a live audience. He has tried to pattern himself after the great bandleader, saxophonist and singer, Louis Jordon. Other musicians who have been important influences on B.B. King are: T-Bone Walker, Lonnie Johnson, Blind Lemmon Jefferson, Elmore James, Robert Lockwood Jr., Lowell Fulsun, and his cousin Bukka White. Bukka White was probably the most influential on B. B. because when Riley B. King first arrived in Memphis in the summer on 1946, he searched on Beale Street for his cousin. Riley found him and Bukka took young Riley in. For ten months he schooled Riley in the art of the blues. Riley and Bukka jammed together in private, but they never played in public. Bukka had prepared Riley for his life as a bluesman by teaching him everything from how to hold his guitar to phrasing lyrics. His most important trait that he impressed upon Riley was his durability, and without it, B.B. King would not be who he is today.
B.B. King Today:
B. B. King at almost 80 years old, the great B.B. King continues to perform an average of 275 shows a year. Not too far off from his 1956 schedule when he did 342 one night stands. He is best known for his distinctive single-note guitar sound in which he bends strings till the notes seem to cry. It is a style that comes from his blues roots deep in Mississippi while also drawing on other influences, ranging from jazz and gospel to pop and rock.
Closing:
B.B. King's name has become one with the blues. His accomplishments and history continually prove one thing that every music lover knows as fact. From his humble beginnings to the packed arenas, B.B. King lives the blues and through his life and work has kept it alive and always growing.
"I played the blues first because I love the blues, second because people love the blues, and third because blues began loving me." - B.B. King