B.B. King

B.B. King is the most influential pure blues guitarist of the 20th century, transforming single-note soloing into profound emotional expression. His trademark vibrato — shaking the string rather than bending it — and his beloved Gibson ES-355 named Lucille became iconic on recordings like The Thrill Is Gone and Live at the Regal. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006 and influenced generations of blues-rock guitarists, from Clapton to Gary Moore.