Il chitarrista e cantante B. B. King nasce a Itta Bena il 16 settembre 1925 e muore a Las Vegas il 14 maggio 2015. Nel 2005 per i suoi 80 anni, ha pubblicato un album con gli ospiti: Van Morrison, Billy Gibbons, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Darryl Hall & John Oates, John Mayer, Mark Knopfler, Glenn Frey, Gloria Estefan, Roger Daltrey, Bobby Bland, Elton John.
Nella sua carriera ha suonato insieme a tanti artisti e gruppi, tra cui Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, David Gilmour, Steve Winwood, Muddy Waters, Paul Butterfield, Luciano Pavarotti, Richie Sambora, Phil Collins, Billy Ocean, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Etta James, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Albert King, Gary Moore, Diane Shuur, Slash, U2, John Mayer, Jeff Beck, Gloria Estefan, Roger Daltrey, Bobby Bland, Zucchero, Tracy Chapman, Sheryl Crow, Billy Preston, Elton John, Mark Knopfler, Van Morrison, Billy Gibbons, Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, Aretha Franklin, Jeff Healey, Edoardo Bennato.
Qui di seguito indichiamo l’anno e la motivazione dei 14 GRAMMY Awards vinti da B. B. King:
2008 – 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Traditional Blues Album
2005 – 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Traditional Blues Album
2002 – 45th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Pop Instrumental Performance
Best Traditional Blues Album
2000 – 43rd Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
Best Traditional Blues Album
1999 – 42nd Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Traditional Blues Album
1996 – 39th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Rock Instrumental Performance
1993 – 36th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Traditional Blues Album
1991 – 34th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Traditional Blues Album
1990 – 33rd Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Traditional Blues Recording
1985 – 28th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Traditional Blues Recording
1983 – 26th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Traditional Blues Recording
1981 – 24th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Ethnic Or Traditional Recording
1970 – 13th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male
Qui di seguito la discografia di B B King:
Album in studio
1957 – Singin’ the Blues
1958 – The Blues
1959 – B. B. King Wails
1959 – Sings Spirituals
1960 – The Great B. B. King
1960 – My Kind of Blues
1961 – Blues for Me
1962 – Blues in My Heart
1962 – Easy Listening Blues
1963 – B. B. King
1963 – Mr. Blues
1966 – Confessin’ the Blues
1968 – Blues on Top of Blues
1968 – Lucille
1969 – Live & Well
1969 – Completely Well
1970 – Indianola Mississippi Seeds
1971 – Live in Cook County Jail
1971 – B.B. King in London
1972 – L.A. Midnight
1972 – Guess Who
1973 – To Know You Is to Love You
1974 – Friends
1977 – King Size
1978 – Midnight Believer
1979 – Take It Home
1981 – There Must Be a Better World Somewhere
1982 – Love Me Tender
1983 – Blues ‘N’ Jazz
1991 – There Is Always One More Time
1993 – Blues Summit
1997 – Deuces Wild
1998 – Blues on the Bayou
1999 – Let the Good Times Roll
2000 – Riding with the King
2000 – Makin’ Love Is Good for You
2001 – A Christmas Celebration of Hope
2003 – Reflections
2005 – B. B. King & Friends: 80
2008 – One Kind Favor
Live
1965 – Live at the Regal
1967 – Blues is King
1967 – The Kings’ Jam (live bootleg)
1970 – The Incredible Soul of B. B. King
1971 – Live in Cook County Jail
1974 – Together for the First Time… Live
1980 – Live “Now Appearing” at Ole Miss
1987 – Live and Well
1990 – Live at San Quentin
1990 – B.B. King and Sons Live
1991 – Live at the Apollo Album
1993 – Live at Montreux
1996 – How Blue Can You Get? Live Performances
1997 – Live at the Regal
1998 – Live in Cook County Jail
1999 – Live in Japan
2001 – Live at San Quentin (Remastered)
2002 – Royal Jam – The Crusaders with B.B. King and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
2008 – B.B. King Live
2012 – Live at the Royal Albert Hall 2011
Raccolte
1960 – The Electric B.B. King – His Best
1998 – His Best – The Electric B.B. King
1998 – Greatest Hits
1999 – Millennium Collection – 20th Century Masters
1999 – His Definitive Greatest Hits
2000 – Anthology
2001 – Here & There – The Uncollected B.B. King
2003 – Christmas Collection – 20th Century Masters
2005 – Ultimate Collection
2005 – B. B. King & Friends: 80
Singolo The Thrill Is Gone estratto dal live del 1993 a Montreux: