BB King Blues King died at the age of 89 in Las Vegas

The famous American blues guitarist and vocalist Bee King, who was called the king of blues, died in Las Vegas at the age of 89 years.

As the musician’s lawyer reported, BB King died in a dream. Not long ago, he was admitted to hospital with a disease related to diabetes.

B.B. King - whose real name was Riley B. King - was born in 1925 on a plantation in Mississippi and worked in the fields picking cotton as a child. In the 1940s, he was a street musician in Memphis, and in 1947 he became a singer and host on one of the local rhythm and blues radio stations. In 1949 he released his first single, which was not successful.

According to one critic, B.B. King introduced us to a sophisticated style of guitar soloing, based on smooth bending and brilliant vibrato, that influenced almost every follower of the electric guitar blues."

His first album, Singin' The Blues, was released in 1957. In total, the musician’s discography includes more than 40 records.

One of his most famous compositions is “The Thrill Is Gone” (1969).

BB King was one of the first bluesmen who began to use elements of jazz and blues in their work, and then contributed to the development of rhythm and blues in the late 60-s.

Pioneer

At the beginning of his career, BB King played almost exclusively for a black audience. However, his original style and unconditional talent made him famous among rock and jazz fans. He began to go on tour to Europe, where his records regularly occupied the first places in the charts.

Young musicians - Eric Clapton and Steve Miller among them - admired his guitar playing and regarded him as a pioneer of the rhythm and blues genre in the 60s and 70s.

BB King has performed a lot all over the world. Until some time, he gave at least 100 concerts a year.

In recent years, Bi-King did not record new albums and did not give major concerts. His farewell tour was held in 2006 year.

In a 2011 poll by The Rolling Stones, BB King ranked sixth on the list of the 100 Best Guitarists of All Time.