Today is Riley "Blues Boy" King's 80th birthday.
King was born in bucolic Indianola, Mississippi, where he attended school up to the tenth grade before moving to Memphis to work. While working in Memphis he hosted a radio show, where he got his nickname B.B.. He began his musical career playing with co-workers as a street musician, and recorded his first song in 1949. This week he released his latest album, entitled 80, featuring duets with friends old and new.
A lot of blues purists (an uncommon critical lot, like jazz purists) take offense at B.B.'s popular success. But the man is a great ambassador for the South and Mississippi, and an amazing musician with a trademark guitar. There are a few guitarists that I can pick out immediately from their hand: Clapton, King, Muddy Waters, Al diMeola, Earl Hooker, John Lee Hooker. But almost everybody I know, even if they're not musically inclined, can identify B.B.'s signatrue sound.
Keep on playing, B.B.. You're the greatest.
King was born in bucolic Indianola, Mississippi, where he attended school up to the tenth grade before moving to Memphis to work. While working in Memphis he hosted a radio show, where he got his nickname B.B.. He began his musical career playing with co-workers as a street musician, and recorded his first song in 1949. This week he released his latest album, entitled 80, featuring duets with friends old and new.
A lot of blues purists (an uncommon critical lot, like jazz purists) take offense at B.B.'s popular success. But the man is a great ambassador for the South and Mississippi, and an amazing musician with a trademark guitar. There are a few guitarists that I can pick out immediately from their hand: Clapton, King, Muddy Waters, Al diMeola, Earl Hooker, John Lee Hooker. But almost everybody I know, even if they're not musically inclined, can identify B.B.'s signatrue sound.
Keep on playing, B.B.. You're the greatest.
posted by Alexander Ignatiev at 9:13:00 AM
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