The Blues Boy Research Paper
Faith Eleby
The Blues Boy- Why B.B King is the most influential person of the blues era? With all the trials and tribulations, he had to go through in his life, he became the most influential artist there was of the blues era. Although B.B, had great success added to his name, the simple fact of his birth place could have created havoc on his future. Mississippi was known for its dislike of African Americans and during this time there were no laws to protect them. In the year that B.B King was born seventeen African Americans had been lynched in America and the Ku Klux Klan reported had 1 billion members. Economically, most black families farmed and sharecropped and during the twenties sharecropping was another form of slavery.
Historic …show more content…
Despite the fact that B.B decided to divert from the rock and roll path, in the 1950s, he started to add some of the traits of early rockers like Little Richard to his performance. After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., In 1969 B.B played an all-night blues benefit, that raised money for King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference with fellow artist Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy. Near the end of the 1960’s he made another musical mile stone by touring in Europe. In no time, B.B was playing concerts with bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Santana. When African American audiences turned away from the blues, white audiences began to fill their shoes. In 1969 "The Thrill Is Gone" was released which won a Grammy in 1971 and became one King's biggest hit. Adding to 1971, him and his attorney, founded FAIRR (the Foundation for the Advancement of Inmate Rehabilitation and Recreation), that is dedicated to the help improve the conditions of prisons. King often performed in prisons, one song that he recorded and released is known as Live at San …show more content…
He has met with many dignitaries like Pope John Paul II and President Barack Obama. B.B King has made appearances on Sesame Street and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and he is recognized for his philanthropical support to non-profit organizations. He lived well into his eighties before being overcome with his complications from diabetes. Before he passed away in the year May 15, 2015 he was stilling touring, he was also a
The Blues Boy- Why B.B King is the most influential person of the blues era? With all the trials and tribulations, he had to go through in his life, he became the most influential artist there was of the blues era. Although B.B, had great success added to his name, the simple fact of his birth place could have created havoc on his future. Mississippi was known for its dislike of African Americans and during this time there were no laws to protect them. In the year that B.B King was born seventeen African Americans had been lynched in America and the Ku Klux Klan reported had 1 billion members. Economically, most black families farmed and sharecropped and during the twenties sharecropping was another form of slavery.
Historic …show more content…
Despite the fact that B.B decided to divert from the rock and roll path, in the 1950s, he started to add some of the traits of early rockers like Little Richard to his performance. After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., In 1969 B.B played an all-night blues benefit, that raised money for King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference with fellow artist Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy. Near the end of the 1960’s he made another musical mile stone by touring in Europe. In no time, B.B was playing concerts with bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Santana. When African American audiences turned away from the blues, white audiences began to fill their shoes. In 1969 "The Thrill Is Gone" was released which won a Grammy in 1971 and became one King's biggest hit. Adding to 1971, him and his attorney, founded FAIRR (the Foundation for the Advancement of Inmate Rehabilitation and Recreation), that is dedicated to the help improve the conditions of prisons. King often performed in prisons, one song that he recorded and released is known as Live at San …show more content…
He has met with many dignitaries like Pope John Paul II and President Barack Obama. B.B King has made appearances on Sesame Street and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and he is recognized for his philanthropical support to non-profit organizations. He lived well into his eighties before being overcome with his complications from diabetes. Before he passed away in the year May 15, 2015 he was stilling touring, he was also a