Blues legend B. B. "Blues Boy" King (1925–2015) was born Riley B. King amidst the cotton fields of Indianola, Mississippi. As a young musician, he played for dimes on street corners. Eventually, he would become known worldwide as the King of the Blues.

For over 60 years, King played his beloved Gibson guitar Lucille, named after a woman who sparked a brawl in a club. His first hit, 3 O'Clock Blues, came in 1950. Inspired by his hero T-Bone Walker, King poured his soul into his playing. "I remember how much I loved Lowell Fulson's version," he said, "but I also wanted to put my own hurting on that beautiful song."

King's style, praised by Rolling Stone, integrated single string runs, bent chords, and a shimmering left-hand vibrato. He once explained, "I always like to know more than people think I know. Each day, I've got my ears kind of cocked, learnin'."

His signature song, The Thrill is Gone, revealed his raw, open-hearted voice and guitar mastery. A profound influence on Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, and George Harrison, King kept touring into his later years. "The beautiful thing about learning," he said, "is nobody can take it away from you."