“When I was in the country and I was trying to play, nobody seemed to pay too much attention to me. People used to say, 'That's just that ole blues singer.'”

American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer

B. B. King was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for shaping electric blues with a polished solo style and for becoming a major figure in the music of the 20th century. His playing drew attention for fluid string bending, a bright vibrato, and sharply clipped picking, traits that influenced many later electric blues musicians. He performed and recorded widely, and his name became closely associated with the sound of modern blues guitar.