B.B. King
One of the most important guitarists and vocalists of the genre, not without reason, being nicknamed “King of the Blues.” He was actually named Rile B. King and was born on September 16, 1925, in Indianola, USA.
Stage performances began in 1946 in Memphis. During the first years of his career, he worked, among others. as a singer at a local radio station playing rhythm & blues and as a DJ. At the same time, he acquired his artistic nickname “B.B.” which is a shortened version of “Beale Street Blues Boy”.
The beginnings of the career were not the easiest – the best times for the artist only came in the 1950s. Then B.B. King has become one of the most important rhythm & blues performers with a series of big hits including “Woke Up This Morning,” “Every Day I Have the Blues,” “Bad Luck,” “You Upset Me Baby,” and “Sweet Little Angel. “.
In 1964 a live album “Live At Regal” was released, recorded during the Chicago show. It is considered one of the most outstanding albums in blues history.
The success far beyond the blue screen has brought Roy Hawkins’ cover art for The Thrill and Gone. The song hit the charts and became one of the most important B.B. King. The 1970s brought more successes to the music and hits like “I Like to Live the Love”.
In 1980 B.B. King was introduced to the Blues Hall of Fame, and in 1987 to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2011 he was ranked No. 6 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
Eric Clapton
Clapton was born in 1945 in Ripley, Great Britain. At the age of 13, he became interested in music. His favorite artists were Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly. Already as a student of the school of fine arts, Clapton began to play the guitar imitating his then blues idols: B. B. King, Big Bill Broonzy, and Muddy Waters. In 1963, he began working with the rhythm and blues group The Roosters. The next formation is Casey Jones And The Engineers. In the same year, Clapton started to play with The Yardbirds. After 18 months, he abandoned The Yardbirds and began working with Bluesbreakers.
In 1966, Clapton, along with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, founded a supergroup – the legendary band Cream. During three years of existence, they recorded some great albums, including “Fresh Cream,” “Disraeli Gears,” “Wheels Of Fire,” or “Goodbye” and concert records.
In 1970, Clapton decided to start a solo career and released the album “Eric Clapton.” Unfortunately, the record did not find recognition in the eyes of fans, and therefore a new formation was created – Derek And The Dominos. With this band, he recorded one of Clapton’s most famous songs – the composition “Layla.”
In August 1974, the album “461 Ocean Boulevard” was released on the market, which included, among others, Clapton’s great hit single promoting the album – “I Shot the Sheriff” – a cover of Bob Marley’s song. The next records are a real success story – “There’s One in Every Crowd” (1975), “E.C. Was Here” (1975), “No Reason to Cry” (1976).
In 1977, Clapton released one of his best albums – “Slowhand.” The songs include “Cocaine,” “Lay Down Sally” and “Wonderful Tonight.” The 1980s belonged to Clapton, each of his albums brought another great hit that conquered the listings.
In 2000, the musician paid tribute to his idol B.B. King. Both great artists decided to play songs that they once recorded on their own. The result of their cooperation was the album “B.B. King And Eric Clapton – Riding With The King.”
