As most know, Mr. Kings birthday was yesterday. Saw him when he could get around just fine and saw him when he struggled. Loved every minute. Should be a holiday.
Sunday is the preliminary round of the Arizona Blues Showdown. Make your plans to come out and boost your favorite act. Downbeat is 12:30 sharp.
This week's Out & About section is the skimpiest I've ever seen it. Hopefully it's just a slow week. Starting to cool off with the temps in two-number increments. Time to get out and take it all in.
Give someone a hug and have a great week y'all!!
Sincerely,
Jim Crawford - PBS
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 Long Live the King
from Google
Described as the "King of Blues", Riley B King - popular as BB King - would have been 94 on Monday. In the iconic US musician's honor, Google is changing its logo in more than 60 countries for an animation of him that includes his thrilling version of The Thrill is Gone. Below, Al Jazeera takes a look at the story of the guitarist and singer, and his achievements: Early life - King was born on September 16, 1925 on the Berclair cotton plantation near the town of Itta Bena, in Mississippi.
- He was the son of sharecroppers Albert and Nora Ella King.
- At the age of four, his mother decided to leave his father for another man. King was sent to live with her grandmother, Elnora Farr, losing contact with his father for a while.
- During the early part of his childhood, King lived between his mother and grandmother.
Three basic chords of guitar - At the age of four, King started singing spiritual songs with his mother, who died five years.
- In the church, King met Reverend Archie Fair, who would play a key-role in young King's life.
- Fair would use music to bring his congregation together, and under the reverend's influence, King learned how to play three basic chords of the guitar.
- "Church was not only a warm spiritual experience," King was once quoted by the Washington Post. "It was exciting entertainment. It was where I could sit next to a pretty girl and mostly it was where the music got all over my body and made me wanna jump."
'I was ashamed man' - King soon found exciting music outside the walls of church, discovering the likes of Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lonnie Johnson.
- But at that time, the blues was not approved by many in the religious congregations.
- "I was ashamed man," King told the BBC in 1972. "The people around us was very religious. I always say they were very religious, very hypocritical. Because, if they wasn't religious, they seemed to act the part."
- However, King continued singing at the church and formed a gospel group called Elkhorn Jubilee Singers, without major success, however.
- In 1940, his grandmother Elnora died. Three years later, he found a job as a tractor driver in Indianola, Mississippi, as well as a new singing group.
A blues singer - The group was called the Famous St. John's Gospel Singers, which achieved some popularity in the black churches across the region.
- Musically, King pushed the blues into the church, which upset many, while his guitar playing was not always appreciated.
- King also began performing the blues on Indianola's streets. He quickly discovered he could earn double the money by playing the blues.
- "I'd go to town on Saturday afternoons, sit on the street corner, and I'd sing and play," King said in an interview in 2008, according to a report by The New York Times.
- "People that would request a gospel song would always be very polite to me ... but they never put anything in the hat.
- "But people that would ask me to sing a blues song would always tip me ... sometimes I'd make $50 or $60 one Saturday afternoon. Now you know why I'm a blues singer," he added.
- In 1944, King married his first wife, Martha Denton, and two years later he left Indianola.
Blues Boy King - King arrived in Tennessee during the summer of 1946, searching for Bukka White, his mother's first cousin who was also a blues guitarist and singer.
- For the next 10 months, King worked closely with his cousin, who helped him in his artistic development.
- King's first success came in 1948, during a performance on Sonny Boy Williamson's radio show.
- He became popular in Memphis but he realised he needed a catchier name - he first nicknamed himself "Blues Boy" King, which later became B.B. King, a name that would stay with him for the rest of his life.
- King went on to christen his guitar "Lucille". During one of his performances, two men got into a fight and knocked kerosene stove that set the hall on fire. King like everyone else escaped, but he ran back to get his guitar, barely making it out alive. He later found out the fight was over a woman named Lucille, so he decided to name his guitar after her.
Ascendant success - In 1951, one of his first recordings, Three o'clock Blues, reached the top of the rhythm-and-blues chart.
- A year later, King divorced his wife Martha. One of the reasons was his heavy work schedule - King performed an average of 275 performances every year.
- After his breakup, he wrote "Woke up this Morning," which became a big hit.
- In 1958, already a major star, King married his second wife, Sue Hall. The couple divorced in 1966.
- During this time, King's music influenced famous guitarists including Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix.
'The real monster' - Still, King was largely unknown. This changed in 1965 when Elektra Records released singer Paul Butterfield's first album, which became a success.
- When Michael Bloomfield was asked where did he learn how to play, he answered: "By copying B.B.'s licks." "B.B. who?" was the follow-up question, to which Bloomfield replied: "The real monster; B.B. King." B.B. King's popularity then soared.
- In his personal life, King remained single from 1966 onwards. Reports have quoted him as saying that he fathered 15 children with 15 women.
Recognition - During his lifetime, King recorded more than 75 records and won 15 Grammy Awards, including its Lifetime Achievement prize in 1987.
- In 1986, he also earned a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked King at Number 3, behind only Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.
- King died on May 15, 2015 at the age of 89 after being hospitalized from dehydration related to Type 2 diabetes.
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| Out & About Tuesday, September 17 Wednesday, September 18 Hans Olson, 7 p.m., Time Out Lounge, Tempe Chuck Hall, 6 p.m., Corrado's, Carefree Eric Ramsey, 7:30 p.m., Janey's, Cave Creek Thursday, September 19 Eric Ramsey Hosts OPEN MIC, 6 p.m., Fatso's Pizza, Phoenix Hans Olson EVERY THURSDAY, 6 p.m., Handlebar, Apache Junction Arizona Blues Project, 8 p.m., Harold's, Cave Creek Friday, September 20 Sugar Thieves, 8 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix Rocket 88s, 8 p.m., Starlight Lounge, Glendale Chuck Hall Band (free show), 7 p.m., Downtown, Prescott Valley Innocent Joe & The Hostile Witnesses, 8 p.m., Lucky Strikes, Apache Junction Leon J, 7 p.m., Red Rock HempFest, Cornville JC & The Rockers, 7 p.m., American Italian Club, Phoenix Tommy Dukes/Roger Smith, 7 p.m., Gopher Hole, Flagstaff Saturday, September 21 Rocket 88s, 8:30 p.m., Rosie McCaffery's, Phoenix Big Daddy D & The Dynamites, 7 p.m., Windsock, Prescott Leon J, 7 p.m., Red Rock HempFest, Cornville Mother Road Trio, 6 p.m., Oakmont Country Club, Flagstaff Sunday, September 22 ARIZONA BLUES SHOWDOWN (prelim), 12:30 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix True Flavor Blues, NOON , Copper Star, Phoenix Monday, September 23
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| Jams
Rocket 88s JAM, 4 p.m., Chopper John's, Phoenix
Bourbon Jack's JAM w/Kody Herring, 6 p.m., Chandler
JAM Hosted by The Scott O'Neal Band. Every other Thursday, Windsock, Prescott
Sir Harrison, JAM every other Sunday, The Windsock, Prescott MONDAY
Bam Bam & Badness Open JAM, 9 p.m., Char's, Phoenix
Weatherford Hotel JAM, 6:30 p.m., Flagstaff
TUESDAY
OPEN JAM Hosted by Jilly Bean & The Flipside Blues Band, 7 p.m., Steel Horse Saloon, Phoenix
JAM Sir Harrison, 9 p.m., Char's, Phoenix
Gypsy's Bluesday Night JAM, 7 p.m. Pho Cao, Tempe
Tailgaters JAM, 7 p.m., Glendale
WEDNESDAY Rocket 88s, JAM, 6 p.m., The Last Stop (Old Hideaway West), Phoenix
Tool Shed JAM Party, 6 p.m. Gabby's, Mesa
JAM @ The Bench, Hosted by BluZone, 7 p.m., The Bench, Tempe
THURSDAY Tool Shed JAM Party, 7 p.m., Steel Horse Saloon, Phoenix Jolie's Place JAM w/Adrenaline, 9 p.m., Chandler
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| GOT BLUES? If you are a Blues musician, a group, or a club that features Blues music, and would like to be listed, please send your info to info@phoenixblues.org and we'll be happy to list your event in our weekly Out & About section of the newsletter
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Moved? Changed email addresses? Please let us know of any changes in your address, email, or phone number so we can keep you informed about the Blues community in Arizona. Email us at: info@phoenixblues.org or write to: Phoenix Blues Society P.O. Box 36874 Phoenix, Arizona 85067 |
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