Grants Pass Now

Enjoy BB King performing, compliments of YouTube.

“Pepticon, Pepticon sure is good, you can get it anywhere in your neighborhood!” This simple jingle may not sound like a gateway to fame and fortune, but when a young man named Riley B. King sang it for WDIA radio in 1948, it proved to be the breakthrough for a music career that still shows no sign of stopping. From his first R&B hit in 1951, titled “Three O’Clock Blues”, to the 2007 release of the DVD “Standing Room Only”, the Pepticon Boy now known as B.B. King continues to share his talent with appreciative audiences around the globe.

King’s left handed vibrato and smooth guitar moves may have given him six decades of success thus far, but to say that life for this popular blues artist started out rough is an understatement. He was born September 16, 1925 on a plantation in Itta Bena, Mississippi. By the time he was four his parents were separated. When he was nine, his mother died. Barely five more years had gone by when his grandmother passed on, leaving him to earn his living alone as a cotton farmer. However, music had permeated his childhood, and he dreamed that it would one day earn him a decent salary. Tired of cotton and frustrated with playing songs on the street for mere dimes, King decided to hitchhike his way to Memphis, Tennessee. Not only did Memphis boast a high population of talented musicians, it was also the home of B.B.’s cousin, the famous blues man named Bukka White.

It was a wise decision. Bukka spent months helping B.B. improve his techniques and by 1949, King’s first recordings were being marketed. At first, his popularity seemed confined to Memphis, but when he recorded “Three O’Clock Blues”, America paid attention. Soon King was touring nationwide and although he wasn’t growing rich, he was definitely growing a large following. They remained loyal, and by the next decade B.B. King was doing what was almost unheard of in the 1960’s - he was gaining an ear among young white listeners. Unfortunately, his success came with a cost and by 1966, his second divorce tookplace. He picked up his beloved guitar and recorded a song written years earlier by Darnell Hawkins, named “The Thrill is Gone”. The song was released in 1969, and by 1970 proved to be a diamond rising out of the ashes. To this day, “The Thrill is Gone” remains B.B. King’s most popular hit song.

One of the most often asked questions about this musician is this: “Why does he name every single guitar Lucille?” The answer comes from a little town in Arkansas named Twist. It was the mid 1950’s, and B.B. was performing at a dance hall. A fight broke out between two men in the crowd and in the struggle a kerosene stove was pushed over, starting a fire which quickly emptied out the hall. In the rush to get outside, B.B. forgot to bring his guitar along. He then did what most people would consider insane. He rushed back inside the still-burning building to rescue the instrument. When it became known that the fight started over a woman called Lucille, King found it a worthy name and chose it for his guitar. Forty years later the instrument is still Lucille, and the Gibson guitar with gold hardware, a maple body, and an ebony/cherry finish is as inseparable from King as she was that day so long ago in Twist.

While natural talent obviously performs an immense role in his long list of musical accomplishments, King’s style is also influenced by the skills of other talented musicians. Bukka White, T-Bone Walker, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and other names synonymous with the features of Delta blues have all played a part in shaping the sound that keeps songs like “To Know You is to Love You,” “Sweet Sixteen,” and “Black Blues” playing across the nation. In turn, other artists take cues from King. Some of those who credit him for contributing to part of their sounds include Peter Green, Eric Clapton, and the Butterfield Blues band. Over the years, this winner of fourteen Grammy Awards has shown himself to be as diverse as his song lyrics. For example, in “B.B. King and Friends-80″, appearances are made by stars that include Roger Daltry, Gloria Estefan, Sheryl Crow, and Daryl Hall. Neither age nor stylistic differences can stand in the way of good sound when B.B. King is present.

Singing the blues with Lucille and others is how most people know B.B., but others know him for his generosity. “Help the Poor” isn’t just another song title, it’s a part of what King is doing to help children in schools across America. His donations help support “Little Kids Rock”, a not-for-profit organization that seeks to bring musical education into elementary schools, providing free musical instruments and trained instructors to children who might otherwise be unable to afford them. Proceeds from his one and only Christmas album go to benefit the medical treatment center and research institute known as City of Hope, to which he has also donated material for the City’s silent auction. At the age of 82, B.B. King still performs on a regular basis and has approximately 65 shows booked within the coming six months. The Rogue Theater at 143 S.E. Street will welcome this legendary musician to Grants Pass on January 9, 2008. To order tickets by phone, call (541) 471-1316. For online purchases, please visit http://www.roguetheatre.com/bbking/ Tickets are also available at the following locations:

Grants Pass

Blue Moon Antiques & Collectibles, Oregon Outpost, The Music Shop, and Larry’s Music.

Medford

Larry’s Music, and Musichead.

Ashland

CD Or Not CD, and The Music Coop.

AND WE HAVE A WINNER!!! Congratulations Susan Goracke, of The Daily Courier, you have won two tickets to BB King!!!