BB King is one of the world's last living blues legends. Born in a small town in Mississippi in 1925, thanks to his guitar (which he fondly calls 'Lucille'), he was able to escape an impoverished life as a cotton picker. At the end of the 1940s, he arrived in Memphis where his cousin Bukka White taught him the finer points of the blues. King quickly developed his own style. His virtuoso, narrative solos, with lots of vibrato and long-held notes have served as an example for virtually every (rock) guitarist who has followed him. And even though King is a blues artist through and through, he has never been far removed from other genres and he has also worked with pop acts like U2 and Eric Clapton. Despite his advanced age, he has remained at the top: King's latest album, One Kind Favor, was awarded a Grammy, just like many of his earlier recordings. He has not reduced his tours and at his age, every performance is a gift for his audience.
