B.B. King

Birth name : Riley King
Also known as : B.B. King
Born : September 16, 1925 (1925-09-16) (age 84)
Origin : Itta Bena, Mississippi, U.S.
Genres : Blues, electric blues, blues-rock, Memphis blues, soul-blues, rock and roll
Occupations : Musician, singer, songwriter, record producer
Instruments : Guitar, vocals, piano
Years active : 1947–present
Labels : Interscope, Bullet Records, RPM Records, Crown, ABC, MCA, Geffen, Reprise
Associated acts : Richie Sambora, Eric Clapton
Website : www.bbking.com, www.bbkingmuseum.org


Riley B. King (born September 16, 1925), known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter acclaimed for his expressive singing and guitar playing.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at #3 on its list of the "100 greatest guitarists of all time". According to Edward M. Komara, King "introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending and shimmering vibrato that would influence virtually every electric blues guitarist that followed."
King was born on a plantation in Itta Bena, Mississippi, a small town near Indianola, Mississippi. His parents were Alfred King and Nora Ella King. King grew up singing in a gospel choir. At age 12 he bought his first guitar for $15.00. In 1943 King left Indianola to work as a tractor driver.

In 1946 King followed his cousin Bukka White to Memphis, Tennessee. White took him in for the next ten months. However, King shortly returned to Mississippi, where he decided to prepare himself better for the next visit, and returned to Memphis two years later. Initially he worked at the local R&B radio station WDIA as a singer and disc jockey, where he gained the nickname "Beale Street Blues Boy", later shortened to "B.B." It was there that he first met T-Bone Walker. "Once I'd heard him for the first time, I knew I'd have to have [an electric guitar] myself. 'Had' to have one, short of stealing!", he said.

In 1948 when he performed on Sonny Boy Williamson's radio program on KWEM in West Memphis, Arkansas he began to develop a local audience for his sound. King's appearances led to steady engagements at the Sixteenth Avenue Grill in West Memphis and later to a ten-minute spot on the legendary Memphis radio station WDIA. "King's Spot," became so popular, it was expanded and became the "Sepia Swing Club."

Baby I love you

Artist: BB King
Album: Deuces Wild
Track: Baby I love you

Play this solo with a very bluesy kind of feel. The following chords are played for backing:

G7 C7 G7

E --8-10-------------------------------8--10-----6-------|
B ---------10-11--10p8----8----8-10-11--------8----8p6---|
G ---------------------------9---------------------------|
D -------------------------------------------------------|
A -------------------------------------------------------|
D -------------------------------------------------------|

E --10-13----10p8---------------------------15/------6---|
B -----------------11-----8-----10-11-10p8--------8------|
G ----------------------x-----9--------------------------|
D -------------------------------------------------------|
A -------------------------------------------------------|
D -------------------------------------------------------|