| Summary: | Blues guitarist and singer B.B. King was born Riley B. King on September 16, 1925 in Itta Bena, Mississippi. After the death of his mother and grandmother, King played on street corners for dimes at the age of ten. King's first big break came from WDIA radio in West Memphis where he gave weekly performances plugging the health tonic Pepticon. In the early 1950s, King first recorded with Modern Records. In subsequent years, he transitioned from the Chitlin' Circuit to performing in concert halls, amphitheaters, and resort hotels. His 1966 signature hit "The Thrill is Gone" was his first song to break through 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. Beginning in the early 1990s, King opened B.B. King Blues Clubs across the country. B.B. King passed away on May 14, 2015 at age 89.
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