B.B. King

B.B. King spent 60 years touring as the King of the Blues, performing over 15,000 concerts across a career that began in the Mississippi Delta in 1946 and ended with his death in 2015 at age 89. His vibrato technique and his personified guitar Lucille were so distinctive they became the defining voice of post-war electric blues, influencing everyone from Eric Clapton to Jimi Hendrix. Where Muddy Waters focused on raw power, King's style emphasized melodic sophistication and emotional nuance—epitomized by his celebrated 1964 live album "Live at the Regal." He sold over 50 million records worldwide and earned 15 Grammy Awards. King's cross-genre appeal also made him a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1995.