B.B. King

Name: Riley King
Born: 16th September, 1925 (Itta Bena, Mississippi)

Profile: He is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter acclaimed for his expressive singing and guitar playing. King is thought to be the originator of the vibrato technique of moving the finger in small movements across the string rather than along its length. He was also one of the pioneers of note-bending techniques.

History: King first got hooked on the blues through hearing records by Blind Lemon Jefferson, T-Bone Walker and Lonnie Johnson, which a teenage aunt brought home. By the time he was 14, he got his first guitar - a three-quarter-sized Stella costing $15. His next guitar was a Gibson acoustic which he bought with some help from a country cousin (Bukka White) - and to which he fitted a DeArmond pick-up.

King's first record release was "Miss Martha King" in 1949, his first national hit on the R&B charts were in 1950 with the song called "Three O'clock Blues". In the early 60's he recorded the highly rated "Alive and Well" album. During the 80's King received numerous music business accolades, but his playing was also discovered by a new generation when in 1989 he featured on U2's "When Love Comes to Town".

He acquired the initials "B.B" early in his career when Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Boy), hosting the American King Biscuit, which nicknamed him "The Blues Boy from Beale Street" which was eventually abbreviated to the initials "B.B"

Influences: Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt

Axology: Gibson ES-355, Fender Twin Reverb and Gibson Series amp

Link(s):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqAuuIDU2sw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsM6L8nW4kk

"He's the father of the squeezing of the string of the electric guitar. The original 'Sweet Little Angel' made me cry when I first heard it" - Buddy Guy