B.B. King
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Riley B. King

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B.B. King

Active - 1971 - 2021  |   Born - Sep 16, 1925 in Itta Bena, Mississippi, United States  |   Died - May 14, 2015   |   Genres - Music

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Biography by Rovi

Great blues singer-guitarist who has appeared in a number of films since 1971.

Movie Highlights

When We Were Kings
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Louder Than Love: The Grande Ballroom Story
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Factsheet

  • Began his career in music as a disc jockey in Memphis after hitch-hiking to the city from Mississippi.
  • Released more than 50 blues albums, beginning with his debut studio release Singin' the Blues in 1956.
  • Inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
  • Was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in 1990 and has since become a spokesperson for diabetes research and fundraising.
  • Awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush on December 15, 2006.
  • Earned honorary Doctorate in Music degrees from numerous schools, including Yale University, Tougaloo College, Berklee College of Music, Rhodes College of Memphis, Mississippi Valley State University, and Brown University.
  • The B.B. King Museum in Indianola, Mississippi opened in 2008 to honor King and his contemporary Delta blues musicians.