BB King, The "King of Blues," Has Died at Age 89
by N/A, 10 years ago |
3 min read
BB King, known as the "King of Blues" died Thursday night at the age of 89. He had been in hospice care for two weeks prior to his death following an illness and two hospitalizations prior.
Riley B King was born in Mississippi in 1925 and started going by the name BB after moving to Memphis in 1947.
He became well known after playing in what was known as the "Chitlin' Circuit" in America's deep south.
He eventually became known around the globe, even visiting the Great Wall of China in 1994.
While on tour in Europe in 1996, King took a break to play for Nato troops at Tuzla airbase in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A man of many collaborations, King played with the likes of Eric Clapton...
U2's Bono...
And even President Bill Clinton.
The recipient of 15 Grammy awards, more than any other blues singer, King was also awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987.
In 1998, his song "The Thrill Is Gone" was awarded the Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
In 1990, King was presented with the National Medal of the Arts from George and Barbara Bush...
And then 16 years later, George W. Bush presented King with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
He also received the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm​ in 2004 for "his significant contributions to the blues" and his "fundamental importance to the development of modern popular music."
BB King was 89 years old.
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