Born as Riley B. King, he began broadcasting his music live on a Memphis radio station called WDIA. At first, he used the name The Peptikon Boy on air, which later was changed to The Beale Street Blues Boy, and then further shortened to just Blues Boy or B.B.
King's first hit on the R&B charts was "Three o'Clock in the Morning" in 1951. He first found success outside the blues market with the 1968 remake of the Roy Hawkins tune, "The Thrill Is Gone", which became a hit on both pop and R&B charts, a rare feat. King's mainstream success continued throughout the 1970s with songs like "To Know You Is to Love You" and "I Like to Live the Love". From 1951 to 1985, King appeared on Billboard's R&B charts seventy-four times.
King continued to record until his 80's, compilations of classic songs with other top artists, and new collaborative material with artists like Eric Clapton.
Further facts:
Early life
King was born in a cabin on a cotton plantation outside of Berclair, Mississippi, to Albert King and Nora Ella Farr on September 16, 1925. In 1930, his father left the family, and his mother married another man. King was raised by his maternal grandmother Elnora Farr in Kilmichael, Mississippi.[8]
As a kid, King sang in the gospel choir at Elkhorn Baptist Church in Kilmichael. It seems that at the age of 12, he purchased his first guitar for $15.00,[8] although another source indicates he was given his first guitar by Bukka White, his mother's first cousin (King's grandmother and White's mother were sisters).[9] In 1943, King left Kilmichael to work as a tractor driver and play guitar with the Famous St. John's Quartet of Inverness, Mississippi, performing at area churches and on WGRM in Greenwood, Mississippi.
In 1946, King followed Bukka White to Memphis, Tennessee. White took him in for the next ten months. However, King shortly returned to Mississippi, where he decided to prepare himself better for the next visit, and returned to West Memphis, Arkansas, two years later in 1948. He performed on Sonny Boy Williamson's radio program on KWEM in West Memphis, where he began to develop an audience. King's appearances led to steady engagements at the Sixteenth Avenue Grill in West Memphis and later to a ten-minute spot on the Memphis radio station WDIA. King's Spot became so popular, it was expanded and became the Sepia Swing Club.
Initially he worked at WDIA as a singer and disc jockey, gaining the nickname Beale Street Blues Boy, which was later shortened to Blues Boy and finally to B.B. It was there that he first met T-Bone Walker. "Once I'd heard him for the first time, I knew I'd have to have [an electric guitar] myself. 'Had' to have one, short of stealing!", he said.
Career
1949–2005
In 1949, King began recording songs under contract with Los Angeles-based RPM Records. Many of King's early recordings were produced by Sam Phillips, who later founded Sun Records. Before his RPM contract, King had debuted on Bullet Records by issuing the single "Miss Martha King" (1949), which did not chart well. "My very first recordings [in 1949] were for a company out of Nashville called Bullet, the Bullet Record Transcription company," King recalls. "I had horns that very first session. I had Phineas Newborn on piano; his father played drums, and his brother, Calvin, played guitar with me. I had Tuff Green on bass, Ben Branch on tenor sax, his brother, Thomas Branch, on trumpet, and a lady trombone player. The Newborn family were the house band at the famous Plantation Inn in West Memphis.
Performing with his famous guitar, Lucille
King assembled his own band; the B.B. King Review, under the leadership of Millard Lee. The band initially consisted of Calvin Owens and Kenneth Sands (trumpet), Lawrence Burdin (alto saxophone), George Coleman (tenor saxophone),[17] Floyd Newman (baritone saxophone), Millard Lee (piano), George Joyner (bass) and Earl Forest and Ted Curry (drums). Onzie Horne was a trained musician elicited as an arranger to assist King with his compositions. By his own admission, he cannot play chords well[18] and always relies on improvisation. This was followed by tours across the USA with performances in major theaters in cities such as Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit and St. Louis, as well as numerous gigs in small clubs and juke joints of the southern US states.
In the winter of 1949, King played at a dance hall in Twist, Arkansas. In order to heat the hall, a barrel half-filled with kerosene was lit, a fairly common practice at the time. During a performance, two men began to fight, knocking over the burning barrel and sending burning fuel across the floor. The hall burst into flames, which triggered an evacuation. Once outside, King realized that he had left his guitar inside the burning building. He entered the blaze to retrieve his beloved instrument, a Gibson hollow electric. The next day, King learned that the two men were fighting over a woman named Lucille. King named that first guitar Lucille, as well as every one he owned since that experience, as a reminder never again to do something as stupid as run into a burning building for a replaceable guitar.
King meanwhile toured the entire "Chitlin' circuit" and 1956 became a record-breaking year, with 342 concerts booked. The same year he founded his own record label, Blues Boys Kingdom, with headquarters at Beale Street in Memphis. There, among other projects, he produced artists such as Millard Lee and Levi Seabury.
In the 1950s, B.B. King became one of the most important names in R&B music, amassing an impressive list of hits including "3 O'Clock Blues",[14] "You Know I Love You," "Woke Up This Morning," "Please Love Me," "When My Heart Beats like a Hammer," "Whole Lotta Love," "You Upset Me Baby," "Every Day I Have the Blues", "Sneakin' Around," "Ten Long Years," "Bad Luck," "Sweet Little Angel", "On My Word of Honor," and "Please Accept My Love." King was extremely busy during this period and made 342 appearances and 3 recording sessions in 1956 alone. In 1962, King signed to ABC-Paramount Records, which was later absorbed into MCA Records, and this hence into his current label, Geffen Records. In November 1964, King recorded the Live at the Regal album at the Regal Theater in Chicago, Illinois.
King won a 1970 Grammy Award for the song "The Thrill Is Gone"; his version became a hit on both the pop and R&B charts, which was rare during that time for an R&B artist. It also gained the number 183 spot in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. He gained further visibility among rock audiences as an opening act on The Rolling Stones' 1969 American Tour. King's mainstream success continued throughout the 1970s with songs like "To Know You is to Love You" and "I Like to Live the Love".
King was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980, and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2004 he was awarded the international Polar Music Prize, given to artists "in recognition of exceptional achievements in the creation and advancement of music."
B.B. King in concert in France 1989
From the 1980s onward he has continued to maintain a highly visible and active career, appearing on numerous television shows and performing 300 nights a year. In 1988, King reached a new generation of fans with the single "When Love Comes to Town", a collaborative effort between King and the Irish band U2 on their Rattle and Hum album. Also that year King played for the 1988 Republican National Convention at the behest of the notorious Republican operative Lee Atwater. King has remained friendly with the Bush Family ever since and in 1990 was awarded the Presidential Medal of the Arts by George H.W. Bush and the Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2008. In 2000, King teamed up with guitarist Eric Clapton to record Riding With the King. In 1998, King appeared in The Blues Brothers 2000, playing the part of the lead singer of the Louisiana Gator Boys, along with Clapton, Dr. John, Koko Taylor and Bo Diddley.
2006–present: farewell tour and later activities[edit]
On 2006, King went on a "farewell" world tour, although he has been active ever since it ended. partly supported by Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore, with whom King had previously toured and recorded, including the song "Since I Met You Baby". It started in the UK, and continued with performances in the Montreux Jazz Festival and in Zürich at the Blues at Sunset. During his show in Montreux at the Stravinski Hall he jammed with Joe Sample, Randy Crawford, David Sanborn, Gladys Knight, Lella James, Andre Beeka, Earl Thomas, Stanley Clarke, John McLaughlin, Barbara Hendricks and George Duke. The European leg of the Farewell Tour ended in Luxembourg on September 19, 2006, at the D'Coque Arena (support act: Todd Sharpville). In November and December, King played six times in Brazil.
In June 2006, King was present at a memorial of his first radio broadcast at the Three Deuces Building in Greenwood, Mississippi, where an official marker of the Mississippi Blues Trail was erected. The same month, a groundbreaking was held for a new museum, dedicated to King.[21] in Indianola, Mississippi.[22] The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center opened on September 13, 2008. In late October 2006, he recorded a concert CD and DVD entitled B.B. King: Live at his B.B. King Blues Clubs in Nashville and Memphis. The four-night production featured his regular B.B. King Blues Band and captured his show as he performs it nightly around the world. It was his first live performance recording in 14 years.
B.B. King at Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, Ontario (May 2007)
On 2007, King played at Eric Clapton's second Crossroads Guitar Festival (Parts of this performance were subsequently aired in a PBS broadcast and released on the Crossroads II DVD.), contributed the song "Goin' Home", to Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino (with Ivan Neville's DumpstaPhunk), and "One Shoe Blues" to Sandra Boynton's children's album Blue Moo, accompanied by a pair of sock puppets in the video.
In the summer of 2008, King played at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, the Chicago Blues Festival, and at the Monterey Blues Festival. On the winter, King was the closing act at the 51st Grammy Nomination Concert, and played at The Kennedy Center Honors Awards Show; his performance was in honor of actor Morgan Freeman. Also in 2008 he was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame alongside Liza Minnelli and Sir James Galway, and Sirius XM Radio's Bluesville channel was renamed B.B. King's Bluesville.
European Tour 2009, Vienna, July 2009
In Summer 2009, King started a European Tour with concerts in France, Germany, Belgium, Finland and Denmark.
King performed at the Mawazine festival in Rabat, Morocco, on May 27, 2010.[23] In June 2010, King performed at 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival with The Robert Cray Band, Jimmie Vaughan and Eric Clapton. In March 2010, King contributed to Cyndi Lauper's album Memphis Blues, which was released on June 22, 2010.
On 2011 King played at the Glastonbury Music Festival, and in The Royal Albert Hall, London, supported by Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, Ronnie Wood, Mick Hucknall and Slash.
Barack Obama and B.B. King singing "Sweet Home Chicago" on February 21, 2012
On February 21, 2012, King was among the performers of "In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues", during which Obama sang part of "Sweet Home Chicago".[24] King recorded for the debut album of rapper and producer Big K.R.I.T., who also hails from Mississippi.[25] On July 5, 2012, King performed a concert at the Byblos Festival, Lebanon.
On May 26, 2013, King appeared at New Orleans Jazz Festival[26]
Over a period of 64 years, King has played in excess of 15,000 performances.
A feature documentary about B.B. King narrated by Morgan Freeman, and directed by Jon Brewer was released on October 15, 2012.
Equipment
For more information about King's guitar, see Lucille (guitar).
B.B. King uses simple equipment. He played guitars made by different manufacturers early in his career: he played a Fender Telecaster on most of his recordings with RPM Records (USA).[29] However, he is best known for playing variants of the Gibson ES-355. In 1980 Gibson Guitar Corporation launched the B.B. King Lucille model. In 2005 Gibson made a special run of 80 Gibson Lucilles, referred to as the "80th Birthday Lucille", the first prototype of which was given as a birthday gift to King, and which he has been using ever since.
King uses Lab Series L5 2x12" combo amp and has been using this amp for a long time. The amp was made by Norlin Industries for Gibson in the 1970s and '80s. Other popular L5 users are Allan Holdsworth and Ty Tabor of King's X. The L5 has an onboard compressor, parametric EQ, and four inputs. King has also used a Fender Twin Reverb.
He uses his signature model strings "Gibson SEG-BBS B.B. King Signature Electric Guitar Strings" with gauges: 10-13-17p-32w-45w-54w and D'Andrea 351 MD SHL CX (Medium .71mm, Tortoise Shell, Celluloid) Picks.
B.B. King's Blues Club[edit]
Sign outside B.B. King's Blues Club on Beale Street, Memphis
In 1991, B.B. King's Blues Club opened on Beale Street in Memphis, and in 1994, a second club was launched at Universal City Walk in Los Angeles. A third club in New York City's Times Square opened in June 2000. Two further clubs opened at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut in January 2002 and another in Nashville in 2003. A club in West Palm Beach opened in the fall of 2009 and an additional one, based in the Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas, opened in the winter of 2009. In 2007, a B.B. King's Blues Club in Orlando opened on International Drive. The Memphis, Nashville, Orlando, West Palm Beach and Las Vegas clubs are all the same company.
Legacy
King is widely regarded as one of the most influential blues guitarists of all time, inspiring countless other electric blues and blues-rock guitarists.
Philanthropy
In 2001, King signed on as an official supporter of Little Kids Rock, a non-profit organization that provides free musical instruments and instruction to children in underprivileged public schools throughout the US. He sits on LKR's Honorary Board of Directors.
TV appearances
B.B. King has made guest appearances in numerous popular television shows, including The Cosby Show, The Young and the Restless, General Hospital, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Sesame Street, Married... with Children, Sanford and Son, and Touched by an Angel. He has also made a cameo in the movie Spies Like Us. He voiced in the last episode of Cow and Chicken.
Personal life
King has been married twice, to Martha Lee Denton, 1946 to 1952, and to Sue Carol Hall, 1958 to 1966. Both marriages ended because of the heavy demands made on the marriage by King's 250 performances a year.It is reported that he has fathered 15 children and, as of 2004, had 50 grandchildren.He has lived with Type II diabetes for over 20 years and is a high-profile spokesman in the fight against the disease, appearing in advertisements for diabetes-management products along with American Idol season 9 contestant Crystal Bowersox.
King is an FAA licensed Private Pilot and learned to fly in 1963 at Chicago Hammond Airport in Lansing, IL (now Lansing Municipal Airport – KIGQ).He frequently flew to gigs, but under the advice of his insurance company and manager in 1995, King was asked to fly only with another licensed pilot; and as a result, King stopped flying around the age of 70.
External video
Oral History, B.B. King reflects on his greatest musical influences. interview date August 3, 2005, NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Oral History Library
His favorite singer is Frank Sinatra. In his autobiography King speaks about how he was, and is, a "Sinatra nut" and how he went to bed every night listening to Sinatra's classic album In the Wee Small Hours. King has credited Sinatra for opening doors to black entertainers who were not given the chance to play in "white-dominated" venues; Sinatra got B.B. King into the main clubs in Las Vegas during the 1960s.
Don't Touch
B.B. King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
난 백번 죽여도 안죽어 Man
랩한단 새끼가 멋없게
머리만 꼬고 Pu**y Hip Hop 해
Ok No Trap
No touch ma body
Yo on dead
양옆에 ** 넌 ** 옆에
다 총얘기 하는데 한국이지
**밖에없어 여긴 f**kin easy
You know ma Feelin
Like what Im big Grizlly
I think yo dum
이 약해빠진 새끼 dont no what
Im daddy New face
이새끼 랩까지 전부 fake
Im gz 에 drilly 다른 케이스
스키마스크에 테크플리스 drip
거기에 총소리까지 전부다 갱
약하게 산놈이 왜 강한척해
니 거지인거 안궁금해
거지새끼 돈 벌어 bi**h
타투에 목걸이 돈은 where
Like
돼진 아니지만 Im Fatty
Why you call me daddy
내 친구들 절대 no f*k Jelly
너 처럼 안살아 yo g*y s*it
19에 나는 king of bronx
니가 말하는 친구들 못들어봤어
뒤에서 욕하지만 날 피해 넌
싸클로 똥싸고 지들끼리 *쳐
Dont tocuh
Dont run
Kay 아니지만
King of bronx
New opps on
넌 바보
Like im Too tuff
B hop on
Like what (Like what)
bi**h you ready 넌 느끼지 떨림
난 메크로 걸린 듯 breack your neck
seoul city 개**들 bust it
난 동네산책을 코 막고 해 like l'm david 0에 넣지
curvin 내려갔다가 올랐지 내 racks
pu**y 난쟁이 새끼들 꾸며봤자 pu**
y 근데 매일 *같은 랩
don't touch my body you are
dead 비위 맞춰봤자 한대 박어
20살 먹고 나 돈에 미쳤지만 멋 없이
살 바엔 나 노선 안 바꿔
한대 처 맞고 너 112 우린
개미 밟듯이 원없이 더 밟어
고딩때 부터 나 땠지 내 왼손 이
새끼 아직도 shake hands 맘이 아퍼
겨울에도 했지 나 shaggin 니
* 담을려 사 new bag
내 목숨 건 것도 걍 재미
난 dp 넌 재낀 개 폐급
bi**h can not bite me 절대
랩 땜에 난 넘겼지 carol
누가 날 defending who
dat 20년째 대기 new rap
don't touch my body 아미리 바지
널 죽여댔지 but 너 안 보내 heaven
여기 villain don't finesse
노력하지만 너 최연소 퇴물
can't stop 못 멈춰
삐까번쩍 일산 부터 배급
king quan 제외 no way
나 techfleece 안 입지 절대로
The lyrics to B.B. King's song "Don't Touch" are written in Korean and have a confrontational and aggressive tone. The lyrics express a strong sense of self-confidence and assertiveness, with the singer warning others not to touch their body and proclaiming that they will not be defeated even if they are killed a hundred times. The lyrics also criticize someone who raps in a manner that is deemed uncool, focusing only on their appearance and using derogatory language to refer to them. The singer asserts their dominance and skill in the realm of rap, dismissing fake rappers and expressing their own authenticity.
The lyrics also touch on themes of poverty and wealth, with the singer referring to someone as a beggar and boasting about their ability to make money. They question why someone would pretend to be strong when they are weak, and express a lack of interest in someone's lowly status. The singer asserts their own success and position as the "king of bronx" at the age of 19, dismissing those who speak ill of them from behind and highlighting their own achievements.
Overall, the lyrics convey a strong sense of confidence, self-assuredness, and dismissive attitude towards those who are deemed inferior or fake in the singer's eyes.
Line by Line Meaning
Dont touch ma body
Please refrain from making physical contact with my person
You on dead
Your life is in serious danger
난 백번 죽여도 안죽어 Man
I am resilient and cannot be easily defeated
랩한단 새끼가 멋없게
Individuals who rap without skill lack appeal
머리만 꼬고 Pu**y Hip Hop 해
They only focus on the appearance and engage in superficial hip hop
Ok No Trap
I don't indulge in deceptive schemes
No touch ma body
Again, I implore you not to physically touch me
Yo on dead
You are in grave danger
양옆에 ** 넌 ** 옆에
You have dishonest and untrustworthy individuals both beside and around you
함 먹어볼라고 헉헉 대
They eagerly wait for an opportunity to exploit and deceive you
다 총얘기 하는데 한국이지
While everyone talks about guns, remember that we are in Korea
**밖에없어 여긴 f**kin easy
There is only violence here, it's damn easy
You know ma Feelin
You are aware of how I feel
Like what Im big Grizlly
I am powerful and formidable, like a grizzly bear
I think yo dum
I believe you are unintelligent
이 약해빠진 새끼 dont no what
This weak and feeble individual doesn't know what they are doing
Im daddy New face
I am the influential figure and a fresh talent
이새끼 랩까지 전부 fake
This person's rap is entirely fake
Im gz 에 drilly 다른 케이스
I'm distinct when it comes to the GZ and drilling
스키마스크에 테크플리스 drip
I have a ski mask and technical fleece that exudes style
거기에 총소리까지 전부다 갱
Additionally, there are gunshots, all part of the gangster lifestyle
약하게 산놈이 왜 강한척해
Why is the weak pretending to be strong?
니 거지인거 안궁금해
I'm not curious about your poor and miserable existence
거지새끼 돈 벌어 bi**h
I generate income, you miserable being
타투에 목걸이 돈은 where
Where is your money while you focus on tattoos and necklaces?
돼진 아니지만 Im Fatty
I may not be a fatty, but I am big
Why you call me daddy
Why do you address me as 'daddy'?
내 친구들 절대 no f*k Jelly
My friends absolutely do not engage in foolish nonsense
너 처럼 안살아 yo g*y s*it
I don't live like you, you engage in uncool actions
19에 나는 king of bronx
At the age of 19, I am the king of the Bronx
니가 말하는 친구들 못들어봤어
I haven't heard about the friends you mention
뒤에서 욕하지만 날 피해 넌
You may badmouth me from behind, but avoid confronting me
싸클로 똥싸고 지들끼리 *쳐
You sit in your little group, engaging in empty talk and gossip
Dont tocuh
Please refrain from physical contact
Dont run
Don't try to escape or avoid the situation
Kay 아니지만
Although it may not be Kay
King of bronx
I am the King of the Bronx
New opps on
There are new opportunities available
넌 바보
You are a fool
Like im Too tuff
I am too tough, just like my image
B hop on
B-hop joins the scene
Like what (Like what)
Like what? (What do you mean?)
bi**h you ready 넌 느끼지 떨림
Are you prepared, do you feel the trembling?
난 메크로 걸린 듯 breack your neck
I will break your neck, as if caught in a chokehold
seoul city 개**들 bust it
The people of Seoul city will bust it
난 동네산책을 코 막고 해 like l'm david 0에 넣지
I stroll through the neighborhood, blocking my nose like I'm not bothered
curvin 내려갔다가 올랐지 내 racks
I curved downwards, then rose up with my racks
pu**y 난쟁이 새끼들 꾸며봤자 pu**y
Even if you try to act tough, you're just a weakling
근데 매일 *같은 랩
But you have the same repetitive rap every day
don't touch my body you are dead
I reiterate, do not physically touch me, or you will face dire consequences
비위 맞춰봤자 한대 박어
Even if you try to fit in, I will punch you in the face
20살 먹고 나 돈에 미쳤지만 멋 없이
At the age of 20, I became obsessed with money, but without style
살 바엔 나 노선 안 바꿔
I won't change my course of action, even if it costs me my life
한대 처 맞고 너 112 우린
After I deliver one punch, you'll be calling 112 (emergency hotline)
개미 밟듯이 원없이 더 밟어
I will trample upon you relentlessly, like crushing an ant
고딩때 부터 나 땠지 내 왼손 이
Since high school, my left hand has been my companion
새끼 아직도 shake hands 맘이 아퍼
I still shake hands, but it pains my heart
겨울에도 했지 나 shaggin 니
Even in winter, I engage in questionable activities, messing with you
* 담을려 사 new bag
To carry my possessions, I buy a new bag
내 목숨 건 것도 걍 재미
Even risking my life is just for amusement
난 dp 넌 재낀 개 폐급
I am DP (Dae Pae) while you are an inferior counterfeit
bi**h can not bite me 절대
You absolutely cannot harm me, bitch
랩 땜에 난 넘겼지 carol
I surpassed Carol because of my rap skills
누가 날 defending who
Who would defend me?
dat 20년째 대기 new rap
After 20 years, the awaited new rap
don't touch my body 아미리 바지
I emphasize once again, do not touch my body, especially my pants
널 죽여댔지 but 너 안 보내 heaven
I could have killed you, but I spared you from going to heaven
여기 villain don't finesse
Here, I am the villain and I don't deceive or manipulate
노력하지만 너 최연소 퇴물
Despite my efforts, you are the youngest failure
can't stop 못 멈춰
I can't be stopped, I won't stop
삐까번쩍 일산 부터 배급
From Pikkabenjjeok to Ilsan, the distribution goes on
king quan 제외 no way
Except for King Quan, there is no other way
나 techfleece 안 입지 절대로
I will never wear Techfleece
Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd.
Written by: jihyeonmin, King Quan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anonymous
on Always On My Mind
Here's BB King's Version - Lyrics
Maybe I didn't love you
Quite as often as I should have
Maybe I didn't treat you
Quite as good as I could have
If I made you feel second best
Girl I'm sorry I was blind
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
Maybe I didn't hold you
All those lonely, lonely times
I guess I never told you
That I am so happy that you're mine
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time
You were always on my mind
ou were always on my mind
If I made you feel second best
Girl I'm sorry I was blind
Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Give me, give me one more chance
To satisfied
I'll keep you satisfied
Musical Interlude
Tell me, tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Give me, give me one more chance
To satisfied
I'll keep you satisfied