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.
Double Trouble
B.B. King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When she left made her take a lift
I can't leave the house without my stick
I don't like taking risk
First class row 1, 2, or 3 when I take a trip
Bowls Touch I just break ‘em in
In 2 days went made a benz
Poled up like Jamaicain kids
Knock some Ps down, roll the extras
What I'm facing with
Stacking up that gualla tryna go
See how them acres hit
On the block I was serving drop
Just my a face a stick life is short
I tried my take my time
But I raced through it ain't racing this
400 horses this turbo cracking shit
Hit the button, open up the roof
Hit the bank and dip
First I got a brick turned one to
Two and I made a flip
Shhhh I can't say too much
Just case them cases hit
Young nigga 19 serving Was drank
Was getting cases in
Shoutout to that plug we made a
Hunnid hit the bank with it
I been up since I can paint the pic
Main b on a rag, so I went a f my side piece
Two Glock 27s all my glizzies looking Siamese
I'm going ghost mode
Switch the address on my IP
All I need is your social, routing number
And ya ID
He was talking s now he hooked up a IV
I was off a Molly when I sent him to the IC
Still tryna f on every freak b that I see
Piss her baby daddy off
She post me on her IG first I made her gag
Then she licked me like a lolli
She wouldn't let me pull out
Now I call her baby mommy
Thousand on the fit
This is Hugo not no tommy
Still shopping blics this a Draco not a tommy
I was locked in isolation asking
God like why me til I beat the cases lawyer
Call me like you lucky
Still f the f cause they always tryna f me
Came back from the dead bet you
Thought I was a flunky
The lyrics of B.B. King's song "Double Trouble" touch on a variety of topics, primarily focusing on the singer's experiences in a life of crime and the risks and consequences that come with it. The opening lines indicate that the singer carries a weapon for protection and does not like taking unnecessary risks. The mention of traveling in first class suggests a certain level of luxury in the singer's life, possibly related to their criminal activities. The lyrics also mention the singer's success in making money and acquiring material possessions, such as a Benz and a big loft. However, the desire for more wealth is evident in their pursuit of stacking up "gualla" (slang for money) and exploring opportunities in real estate ("See how them acres hit").
The second part of the song introduces a different perspective from a character known as "Main b," who has a primary romantic partner ("rag") but engages in extramarital affairs ("side piece"). The lyrics hint at a criminal lifestyle again, with references to possessing two Glock 27s and manipulating people for personal gain. The lyrics also touch on sexual encounters and the consequences that come with them, such as unexpected pregnancies ("Now I call her baby mommy"). The singer expresses a sense of resilience and defiance, highlighting their ability to overcome legal troubles and survive ("Came back from the dead bet you thought I was a flunky").
Overall, "Double Trouble" paints a picture of a complex and morally ambiguous world, one that intertwines wealth, crime, personal relationships, and the challenges that come with them. It reflects the realities and complexities of the singer's life, showcasing both their successes and the risks they face.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes I picked up that B Up
I found success and achieved fame
When she left made her take a lift
When she left, I made sure she regretted it
I can't leave the house without my stick
I always carry a weapon for protection
I don't like taking risk
I prefer to play it safe and avoid unnecessary danger
First class row 1, 2, or 3 when I take a trip
I always fly first class and enjoy luxury
Bowls Touch I just break ‘em in
I quickly get comfortable and adapt to new situations
In 2 days went made a benz
I acquired a luxury car in just two days
Poled up like Jamaicain kids
I am surrounded by beautiful women
A big loft with some space in it
I have a large and spacious living area
Knock some Ps down, roll the extras
I am successful at seducing women and enjoying their company
What I'm facing with
These are the challenges I am dealing with
Stacking up that gualla tryna go
I am accumulating wealth and striving to succeed
See how them acres hit
I want to see the impact of my investments in real estate
On the block I was serving drop
I used to sell drugs on the street
Just my a face a stick life is short
I am aware that life is unpredictable and can end quickly
I tried my take my time
I attempted to be patient
But I raced through it ain't racing this
However, I quickly passed through it without rushing
400 horses this turbo cracking shit
I have a powerful car that accelerates quickly
Hit the button, open up the roof
I enjoy the luxury of opening the convertible roof
Hit the bank and dip
I quickly deposit money and leave
First I got a brick turned one to
Initially, I had one unit of drugs, then I multiplied it
Two and I made a flip
I doubled my initial investment and made a profit
Shhhh I can't say too much
I need to keep quiet and not reveal too many details
Just case them cases hit
I am preparing for potential legal troubles
Young nigga 19 serving Was drank
At a young age, I was involved in illegal activities, serving a dangerous drink
Was getting cases in
I was attracting attention from law enforcement
Shoutout to that plug we made a
I want to acknowledge and thank the person who supplied me
Hunnid hit the bank with it
I deposited one hundred thousand dollars in the bank
I been up since I can paint the pic
I have been awake and active for a long time, witnessing everything
Main b on a rag, so I went a f my side piece
My main partner was angry with me, so I had to turn to someone else for intimacy
Two Glock 27s all my glizzies looking Siamese
I carry two Glock 27 guns, and they resemble each other
I'm going ghost mode
I am becoming invisible and avoiding detection
Switch the address on my IP
I am changing my internet protocol address to maintain anonymity
All I need is your social, routing number
I only require your social security number and bank routing number
And ya ID
As well as your identification
He was talking s now he hooked up a IV
He was talking nonsense, and now he is in a critical condition
I was off a Molly when I sent him to the IC
I was under the influence of drugs when I caused him to go to intensive care
Still tryna f on every freak b that I see
I am still attempting to have sexual encounters with every promiscuous woman I encounter
Piss her baby daddy off
I intentionally provoke her child's father
She post me on her IG first I made her gag
She shares intimate moments with me on social media, and I initially surprised her
Then she licked me like a lolli
She performed oral sex on me with enthusiasm
She wouldn't let me pull out
She wanted me to ejaculate inside her
Now I call her baby mommy
Now she is the mother of my child
Thousand on the fit
I spent a thousand dollars on my outfit
This is Hugo not no tommy
This is a high-end brand, not a cheap one
Still shopping blics this a Draco not a tommy
I am still buying powerful firearms, this time it's a Draco not a cheap one
I was locked in isolation asking
I was imprisoned and isolated, questioning
God like why me til I beat the cases lawyer
I questioned God, wondering why I faced legal troubles, until my lawyer managed to win the cases
Call me like you lucky
My lawyer contacted me to inform that I was fortunate
Still f the f cause they always tryna f me
I still have a negative relationship with the police as they consistently target me
Came back from the dead bet you
I returned and recovered from a dangerous or life-threatening situation
Thought I was a flunky
People underestimated me and thought I was a failure
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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