Part 5| “For all the hard times and tough challenges I faced during different periods of my life, I think I was lucky or blessed or both. When things looked bleak, a good guide would appear to set me straight. Someone once asked me about the villains who got in my way, the bad guys who wanted to trip me up or take me out. I don't remember any. Maybe it's my nature to remember the good and forget the bad, or maybe it's my destiny to lock onto the righteous for help.” -B.B. King (9/16/1925 - 5/14/2015) Born Riley B. King in Itta Bena, Mississippi. King was introduced to Gospel music by his Guitar playing Reverend. By age 10 King was on his own following the passing of both his mother and grandmother. Young King would perform the guitar for dimes on street corners. B.B. King hitchhiked to Memphis sometime in the late 40’s where he would cut a deal with WDIA Radio in West Memphis. King was allowed to play on a weekly spot on the radio promoting a health tonic known as Pepticon. King signed a contract in the early 50s with Modern Records and made his first recordings. By the late 60s artists such as Buddy Guy and Eric Clapton cited B.B. King as inspiration for their love of the instrument, King then began gaining widespread recognition and popularity. After recording "The Thrill is Gone," in 1966 B.B. King, for the first time, achieved success on the popular charts. B.B. King was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He also received the NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987. Not to mention Grammys too. B.B King passed away on May 14, 2015. He was 89 years old.
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