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B. B. King Biography

Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer, electric guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. King introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending and shimmering vibrato that influenced many later electric blues guitarists.

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B. B. King Quotes

I always liked the steel guitar. I also love the guys that play the bottleneck. But I could never do it; I never made it do what I want. So every time I would pick up the guitar, I'd shake my hand and trill it a bit. For some strange reason my ears would say to me that sounds similar to what those guys were doing. I can't pick up the guitar now without doing it. So that's how I got into making my sound. It was nothing pretty. Just trying to please myself. I heard that sound.

Guitar, Hand, Hands, Nothing, Play, Strange

A day that I don't learn something new is a wasted day.

Day, Learn, Something New, Wasted

When you heard Jimi Hendrix, you knew it was Jimi Hendrix. He introduced himself with his instrument. His attack to a guitar man, was, oh, something else! You think of one of the great American ball players, or one of the great fighters of the world, you know, that's the way he would attack any note on his guitar.

Attack, Instrument, Jimi, Men, Player, Thinking

I liked blues from the time my mother used to take me to church. I started to listen to gospel music, so I liked that. But I had an aunt at that time, my mother's aunt, who bought records by people like Lonnie Johnson, Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson and a few others.

Aunt, Bought, Listen, Mother, People, Used

Hard times don't necessarily mean being poor all the time. I've known people that was a part of a family and always feel that the family likes everybody else but them. That hurts and that's as deep a hurt as you can possibly get.

Hard Times, Hurt, Mean, Possibly, Times

I don't try to just be a blues singer - I try to be an entertainer. That has kept me going.

Blues, Entertainers, Kept, Singer, Singers, Trying

I think Ive done the best I could have done. But I keep wanting to play better, go further. There are so many sounds I still want to make, so many things I havent yet done. When I was younger I thought maybe Id reached that peak. But Im 86 now, and if I make it through to next month, Ill be 87. And now I know it can never be perfect, it can never be exactly what it should be, so you got to keep going further, getting better.

Done, Month, Perfect, Play, Think, Thinking

Being a blues singer is like being black two times.

Black, Blues, Singer, Singers, Times, Two

I guess you can look at me, and tell I'm the old man. My name is BB King.

Guess, Kings, Look, Men, Names, Old

I don't do much recording anymore, but before I really stopped, I was glad to get five, five cent a record. That's why when I see people today and they complain about what they get, and I picked cotton for $2. 50 a day.

Complaining, People, Recording, Records, Stopped

Water from the white fountain didn't taste any better than from the black fountain.

Fountain, Race, Racism, Water, White

There was a lot of other young players around at that time when I was coming, but there was older people like Blind Lemon, which was one of my favorites. I don't know, just seemed like everybody I heard could play better than me.

Blind, Heard, Older, People, Player

If you can't get your songs to people one way, you have to find another.

People, Song, Songs, Way

Kenny Burrell is overall the greatest guitarist in the world and he's my favorite.

Greatest, Jazz, Kenny, Music, Overall, World

I think of guitar players in terms of doctors: you have the doctor for your heart, the cardiologist, then one that works on your feet, your leg. But I believe George Benson is the one that plays all over. To me, he would be the M. D. of them all.

Believe, Feet, Heart, Player

Blues purists never cared for me. I don't worry about it. I think if it this way: When I made 'Three O' Clock Blues,' they were not there. The people out there made the tune. And blues purists just wrote about it. The people is who I'm trying to satisfy.

Cared, People, Purists, Satisfy, Thinking, Worry

I can't afford no liquor, all I can buy is beer and wine.

Wine, Beer, Politics, Buy, Liquor

I've known people that was a part of a family and always feel that the family liked everyone else but them. That hurts, and that's as deep a hurt as you can possibly get. I've known people that would have problems with their love life. This is kind of how blues began - out of feeling misused, mistreated. Feeling like they had nobody to turn to. Blues don't necessarily have to be sung by a person that came from Mississippi as I did, because there are people having problems all over the world.

Hurt, Liked, Love Life, Nobody, Part, People

I do it because I still get a kick out of it. I still love performing. It keeps me young.

Kick, Kicks, Love, Performing, Young

Ladies, friends, and music - without those three, I wouldn't wanna be here

Friends, Ladies, Music, Three, Wanna

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