Riley B King, or better known as BB King, passed peacefully in his sleep at 9:40pm on Thursday, May 14, in his home. King was 89.
Referred to as the “King of Blues,” he defined the genre for nearly seven decades with his unique style of electric guitar and even inspired countless musicians with his talent.
Starting his life as a simple Mississippi farmhand, the legend sold millions of records worldwide. He was a mentor for many famous guitarists of the time, such as Eric Clapton and U2’s Bono (Paul David Hewson). Even at old age, he performed hundreds of shows while keeping his trademark Gibson guitar “Lucille” by his side.
BB King was inducted for the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame as well as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the 2014 class of the R&B Music Hall of Fame as well. Over his life, he has won 15 Grammy awards, more than any other Blues musician. He was even ranked number one of the Rolling Stone magazine 100 greatest guitarists of all time, being third the year prior to it.
He was famous for his popular hits such as “My Lucille” and “Sweet Little Angel.”
