Happy Birthday Riley King

I've seen B.B. King (Born September 16, 1925 in Itta Bena, Mississippi) perform twice. The first venue was in the middle of downtown Waterbury, Connecticut at Loew's , a relic of the golden age of cinema, when people flocked to the "movie palaces" in search of affordable entertainment. It seemed entirely fitting to enjoy BB's blues in that particular setting, the faded curtains and chipped balustrades and badly stained seats evoking distant memories of prosperity. King's lyrics seemed to match the city's woes, the word pictures of lost loves and lost opportunities mirroring the grim sidewalks and empty buildings. The bluesman had just released what amounts to his "hit" record - "The Thrill Is Gone." BB's voice and guitar work are as dependable as ever, honed from years of one night stands, but what really flavors "Thrill" is the insertion of strings in the background, the orchestration providing a full-bodied sound that smooths out the rough edges. The other signature tune that BB always delivered was "Lucille", the story of his guitar.


The second time I heard him was at the end of the Newport Jazz Festival in 1985. I had dragged my poor pregnant wife just to see Miles Davis play, figuring it was one of those "see him before he dies" type opportunities. Unfortunately, after finally seeing the jazz great on stage, some idiot in front of me babbled about her summer escapades over most of the solos. As BB was starting up, my wife was melting down. I ended up helping her back to the car with the strains of "Everyday I Have The Blues" tickling my ears.


You've probably heard by now that young Riley King made his way from the Delta to Beale Street in Memphis and was originally known as Beale Street Blues Boy King, which eventually became BB King. He just celebrated his 84th birthday. In a way, King is similar to Picasso because he has lived long enough to experience his own fame and success. The only problem is that most TV viewers - who know nothing about his music - will associate BB with ads for Wendy's and/or blood sugar measuring devices. Check out BB's latest - "One Kind Favor". He still plays flawlessly, his voice shows no signs of aging, and he is still touring. The month of September unfortunately marks the passing of blues legends Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (9/10/05) , Jimmy Witherspoon (9/18/97), Canned Heat's Al "Blind Owl" Wilson (9/3/70) and Bessie Smith (9/26/37). At least BB King is still alive and well and singing the blues.

("Blues With A Feeling" is back on 88.3 FM, Sundays from 3:00 -5:00, or at wqri.rwu.edu)