♫The Essence - the 'King' - of the Blues♫

Around the end of the 19th century, a musical form known as the blues originated in the African-American communities in the "Deep South" of the United States. At the heart of documenting the essence of the blues is a recording artist who has been at the top for decades. Even the mention of R&B brings his name immediately to mind.

Today in Music History: January 21, 1982 

Welcome into the Spotlight...

If you ask anyone to name a blues man, chances are the first name that will come to mind will be B.B. King, aka “The King of the Blues”. It’s been said of him that he “arguably did more for bringing blues to white America than any other musician”. Read MORE...

Riley B. King: one of the most influential blues musicians of all time known for a unique style that mixes blues, jazz, swing, mainstream pop and jump

Riley B. King is none other than the legendary B.B. King who began as a disc jockey in Memphis before finding fame as a blues and R&B guitarist. His reign as "King of the Blues" has been as long as that of any monarch on earth. The world just can't seem to get enough of his music. B.B. King started recording in the 1940s and had his first national hit, "Three O'Clock Blues," in 1949. His many hits include "Let The Good Times Roll", "Thrill is Gone", and "Rock me Baby". He played over 300 concerts a year until he was in his seventies. As he approaches his 90th birthday, B.B. King has slowed down because of health issues but not his music. That thrill will never be gone!

 

The Legend of Lucille...

In the mid-1950s, while B.B. was performing at a dance in Twist, Arkansas, a few fans became unruly. Two men got into a fight and knocked over a kerosene stove, setting fire to the hall. B.B. raced outdoors to safety with everyone else, then realized that he left his beloved $30 acoustic guitar inside, so he rushed back inside the burning building to retrieve it, narrowly escaping death. When he later found out that the fight had been over a woman named Lucille, he decided to give the name to his guitar to remind him never to do a crazy thing like fight over a woman. Ever since, each one of B.B.’s trademark Gibson guitars has been called Lucille. [Source: BBKing.com Official Website]

On this day in...

1982 B.B. King donated part of his record collection to the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi in 1982. Located in the University of Mississippi's Barnard Observatory, the Ole Miss Blues Archive houses a large collection of photographs, film, and long-playing records. This collection is now housed at the Barnard Observatory in the blues archive.

No.1 singles on this day...
[Click on the year for the songs that hit number one on the charts in the US during that year.]

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  1957 English singer Frankie Vaughan was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'The Garden Of Eden'. (Vaughan recorded a large number of songs that were covers of United States hit songs).

• 1984 Yes started a two-week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart'a No.28 hit in the UK.

• 2001 Limp Bizkit started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)', taken from their album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.

• 2007 Mika scored his debut UK number one hit single with 'Grace Kelly', which went on to be became the third biggest-selling single in the UK in 2007. Amy Winehouse kept her place at the top of the UK album chart with 'Back to Black'

No.1 albums on this day...

1978 The soundtrack album 'Saturday Night Fever' started a 24 week run at No.1 on the US album charts, it went on to sell over 30 million copies world wide, making it the best selling soundtrack album of all time.

1989 Six weeks after his death Roy Orbison started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'The Legendary Roy Orbison' collection.

2012 Adele was at No.1 on the US album chart with her second studio album 21. The album which yielded five hit singles including the lead single 'Rolling in the Deep', has now sold over 26.4 million copies worldwide.

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...