B. B. King

Object Details

Exhibition Label: In Memoriam; 1925–2015; Born Itta Bena, Mississippi; Long acknowledged as the undisputed “King of the Blues,” guitarist B. B. King was a consummate musician whose “vocal-like string bends” and distinctive left-hand vibrato influenced generations of blues players, as well as rock guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Carlos Santana. Born Riley B. King, he acquired the moniker B. B.—short for Blues Boy—while performing on a West Memphis radio station in the late 1940s. After his rendition of “Three O’Clock Blues” claimed the number-one spot on the R&B charts in 1951, King and his band embarked on their first nationwide tour. Thereafter, he maintained an ambitious touring schedule, much to the delight of his legions of fans. In 1970 King scored a huge crossover hit with “The Thrill Is Gone,” which climbed both the R&B and pop music charts to earn him the first of fifteen Grammy Awards—more than any other blues artist.

June 19, 1992

National Portrait Gallery

Topic: Costume\Jewelry\Ring; Equipment\Sound Devices\Microphone; Costume\Jewelry\Bracelet; Music\Musical instrument\Guitar; B. B. King: Male; B. B. King: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician; B. B. King: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Songwriter; B. B. King: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Guitarist; B. B. King: Military and Intelligence\Army; B. B. King: Civilian awards\Presidential Medal of Freedom; B. B. King: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Blues musician; B. B. King: Performing arts awards\Grammy; B. B. King: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Gospel musician; Portrait

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm437bdf79f-3976-424f-84a4-7695e35540ba