KING of the BLUES

First he was Riley B. King. Then he was the Beale Street Blues Boy, then just Blues Boy and, finally, B.B. But whatever name he goes by, one moniker remains the same. B.B. King is King of the Blues.

For nearly four decades, this titan of slow-burning music has gathered fans around the world and influenced other musicians from Eric Clapton to Irish rock band U2. After a major European jazz festival tour of more than 13 countries this year, King will be bringing his sounds to the Maine Center for the Arts on Aug. 16. The show has been sold out since the middle of June.

Raised on a cotton plantation near the Mississippi Delta town of Indianola, King became interested in music as a child. He grew up playing on street corners for dimes until, at the age of 22, he hitchhiked to Memphis to pursue a career in music.

King’s first big break came within a year of his move when he performed on a radio program. This lead to other engagements and a 10-minute spot on a Memphis radio station. Needing a catchy radio name, King adopted the nickname “B.B.”

It wasn’t until the mid 1950s that another name became important to King’s career. One night, while King was performing at a dance hall in Arkansas, a fight broke out. In the midst of the struggle between two men, a kerosene stove was tipped and a fire flamed up. King raced outdoors with everyone else, but soon realized he had left his $30 guitar inside. He rushed back in to save it and nearly lost his own life. When he learned that the fight had been over a woman named Lucille, King began calling all of his guitars Lucille and the name has stayed as a badge of loyalty to that evening’s event.

Mixing traditional blues with jazz, swing, pop and rock ‘n’ roll, King created his own style of music. He borrowed techniques from such guitar masters as Lonnie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, T-Bone Walker and others for the vocal-like string blend and left-hand vibrato that have become his trademark sounds.

As a performer, King has appeared on the chitlin circuit and in symphony concert halls. His recording career has won him many honors including Grammies and honorary degrees. He also has devoted a portion of his time to free concerts at correctional facilities and prisons around the country. One album, “B.B. King Live In Cook County Jail,” was recorded at one such show.

At 63, King is still one of the hottest modern blues singer/guitarists in the world. In 1979, enthusiastic Soviet audiences called him the “Father of Jazz” when he was the first American artist to tour there. Whether he’s the king or the father or just B.B. King, the blues artist’s musical odyssey attests to his legendary status as one of the world’s greatest musicians.