B.B.King may be called the American institution. He recently turned 88, but as reported by CBS news, his “fingers can still fly.”
B.B. King is the last legendary bluesman who emerged from Mississippi Delta. He born on a cotton plantation as Riley B. King and started working at age 7. Sometimes he picked 400 pounds of cotton a day.
His stage nickname is from “blues boy” shorted to “B.B.”
He said about blues music:
“It’s good for me when I’m feeling bad, and good for me when I’m feeling good.”
His become famous when in 1952 his song “Three O’Clock Blues” hit number one on the R&B charts. According Rolling Stone Magazine his the number three guitar player all the time. He modestly admits with a smile:
“I don’t believe that, but I’m not going to tell them”
Although old age is still active, playing 125 concerts a year. Last year, there was even in the “White House”.
Is retirement in his vocabulary? “Never heard of it,” he answered.
It’s simple, B.B. King said. “If I stop, I don’t get paid.”
Photo Flickr by tom.beetz