B.B. King
“One of the most important electric guitarists in history, whose bent notes and staccato picking style influenced legions to come.”
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums: Live at the Regal
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs: “The Thrill Is Gone”
Billboard #1 hits: none
Spotify top 5:
“The Thrill Is Gone”
“Riding with the King”
“We Are the World” [w/ Pavarotti & Friends]
“When Love Comes to Town”
“Chains and Things”
Miscellaneous trivia:
originally known as the “Beale Street Blues Boy”, shortened to “Blues Boy” and then “B.B.”
named his guitars “Lucille” in honor of a woman who inspired a bar fight
born in Mississippi, where his namesake museum opened in 2008
nicknamed “King of the Blues”
won a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album at age 83