B.B. King
By Abby Shefcheck and Megan Thomas
Early Life
- grew up in the Mississippi countryside
- mother left him
- father was a sharecropper (rented land and paid the landlord with the crops they grow)
- raised by grandmother
- real name: Riley B. King
- at 16, was making a living as a musician
- moved to Tennessee to work on a radio show
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Influences
- Lonnie Johnson
- Charlie Christian
- Blind Lemon Jefferson
- Buckle White
- Django Reinhardt
Time Period
- died at 89
- died on May 14th, 2015
- 1925-2015
- career lasted 60 years
- 1949 he started to become popular
- his fame grew into the 60's
- cold war began
- Korean war began
- televisions were only allowed in upper-classmen's homes
- African Americans were being segregated
- John F. Kennedy was killed
- Vietnam war
- segregation continued
Their Music
- blues
- was a songwriter, guitar player, and singer
- was called the king of blues
- had at least 2 #1 songs in 1949
- some of his most famous songs include: "Three O'clock Blues" in 1951, "Everyday I Have the Blues" in 1955, "Sweet Little Angel" in 1956, "Rock Me Baby" in 1964 and "The Thrill Is Gone" in 1969
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Interesting Facts
- named his guitar Lucille because 2 men were fighting over a woman and the woman's name was Lucille
- ran into a burning building to save his $30 guitar
- was the opening act for "The Rolling Stones"
- about 200 concerts a year
- won 15 Grammies
- www.blueshalloffame.com/
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