BB King – The Most Awesome Blues Music Guitar Performer Ever – Part 1
One of my preferred guitarists has constantly been blues guitar music legend BB King! He is arguably the most influential and surely the most noticeable blues guitarist in history. Other famous guitar players like Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Keith Richards, Billy Gibbons and Mike Bloomfield have all acknowledged their personal debt to BB King. And, BB King’s guitar playing nowadays remains just as fresh, lively and alive as ever! Fortunately, for aspiring blues guitarists there is a wealth of instructional blues guitar tab publications and a blues guitar DVD course tutored by BB King himself!
Riley King was born in Mississippi in 1925 to Albert and Nora King. His mom left her husband for a different man once BB was 4 years old and he was despatched to reside with his maternal grandmother also in Mississippi without objection from his dad. Nora had 2 other husbands and BB was shuffled back and forth between them and his grandmother. His musical training began once he started singing in the Sanctified Church, whose preacher Archie Fair was his uncles’ brother-in-law. Archie Fair strummed some gospel guitar tracks and offered the curious youngster his initial enticing taste of playing on the strings. BB’s mom died in 1935 but luckily not before she could call her 9 year old son to her bedside before passing away.
Afterwards, BB resolved to go back to stay with his grandmother and attended the Baptist sponsored Elkhorn School where he continued strengthening his young voice in the gospel choir. Once his grandmother died in 1940, the 14 year old attempted tenant farming on her land until later that year when he left for the Delta to stay with his dad and extended family for the next 2 years. By the age of 15 he was already playing on street corners. He had found that he could make a lot more income in tips in one day of playing than he could for a full week’s work of picking cotton! Soon he was performing singing commercials on Memphis radio channels and from there he moved on to acquiring his own show. It was at this time that he acquired the nickname “BB” which was an abbreviation for “Blues Boy”.
His acceptance continued to grow and eventually he was signed to the RPM recording label. His initial hit “3 O’Clock Blues” went to Number 1 on the rhythm and blues charts and foretold the arrival of a blues guitar playing superstar. BB continued touring and making recordings throughout the fifties, but it wasn’t right up until the sixties that his name became familiar to white audiences. In 1970 he won a grammy award for his huge hit “The Thrill Is Gone”. At the present, he continues to tour over 200 days a year and to record with his band and with various other performers as diverse as Larry Carlton and U2. His numerous tv and movie appearances together with a great number of awards continue to affirm his stature as an all time blues guitar great.
Peabody Conservatory trained guitarist Steven Herron helps guitar players become better guitarists. His company ChordMelody.com features an enormous selection of blues guitar tabs as well as instructional DVDs by BB King himself. Find out more and claim Steven’s popular free monthly guitar lesson e-course available at: =>
http://www.chordmelody.com/BB-King.htm
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