Blues icon B.B. King is inspiring today’s Good Vibes post to kick of the weekend. The legendary blues singer, songwriter and guitarist passed away in Las Vegas last night after a long illness. He was 89.
Known as the “King of the Blues”, B.B. King’s influence spans generations and will reverberate for years to come.
Born as Riley B. King in 1925 on a cotton plantation near the town of Itta Bena, Mississippi, B.B. King was the son of sharecroppers. He considered the nearby city of Indianola, Mississippi to be his home and Indianola Mississippi Seeds, his eighteenth studio album dating back to 1970, will always be one of my favorites.
B.B. King sang with church choirs as a child. He learned basic guitar chords from his uncle, a preacher, and purchased his first guitar for $15.00 at the age of 12. He used to play on street corners for dimes, saying he earned more in one night singing on the corner than he did in one week working in the cotton field.
From humble beginnings great things come. Goodbye, B.B. King. And thank you for your music, especially this song…
