B.B. King

With his soulful playing and smooth, heartfelt purr, B.B. King stands as one the great blues guitarists - inspiring the likes of Gary Moore, Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy - and a winner of 15 Grammy Awards. Learning his trade at the feet of his cousin Bukka White, King gained the nickname Beale Street Blues Boy when working as a singer on a Memphis radio station before making his first recordings with legendary Sun Records founder Sam Phillips. While performing in Arkansas in 1949 King ran into a burning dance hall to retrieve his favourite Gibson guitar and nearly lost his life. To remind him of his stupidity he named the instrument Lucille and played it all the way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. From seedy shacks along the Mississippi Delta to huge stadiums across the world, King averaged an incredible 300 gigs a year in his pomp and scored hits across the decades with Three O'Clock Blues, To Know You Is To Love You and the classic Thrill Is Gone. In the 1980s he collaborated with U2 on the UK Number 6 single When Love Comes To Town and later teamed up with Eric Clapton on the multi-platinum album Ridin' With The King (2000). Despite suffering from diabetes, his 50-year career continues with regular tours and performances at the five B.B. King's Blues Clubs dedicated to the great man.

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