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Living Legend
B. B. King
Awarded: September 2005
(b. Sept. 16, 1925)
Hailed as the reigning king of the blues, the legendary B. B. King is the single most important electric guitarist of the last half-century. The seeds of his talent can be traced to his birth in the blues-rich Mississippi Delta, where gospel and country blended with the blues to create a unique and affecting sound. King has scored more than 74 entries on Billboard’s R&B charts and achieved mainstream success with his 1970 smash hit “The Thrill is Gone.”
Related Library Resources
- America's Story from America's Library highlights the birth of the blues
- View the online collection of "African-American Sheet Music, 1850-1920."
- Listen to George Johnson discuss the Mississippi blues.
Last Updated: 07/23/2007