B.B. King

Description by OLDIES.com:

"I don't think there is a better blues guitarist than B.B. King," Eric Clapton has said. Buddy Guy, the Rolling Stones, and Ireland's U2, along with many others, have claimed the King of the Blues as their mentor. His influence on other artists is wide. No matter where he has taken his music, B.B. King has never relaxed his aim to be the absolute best among blues artists. From his humble beginnings in the Mississippi Delta country as Riley King to his renown as the King of the Blues, the standards of his art have not wavered.

This portrait shows a life that has conformed to the traditional image of the blues singer: early years of poverty and hardship in the American South, a backdrop of cotton fields and the muddy Mississippi, a musical apprenticeship in the big city (Memphis), and a career that peaks under the spotlights of Las Vegas.

Danchin reveals a success story that is due not just to luck or to art alone. King's success results from unflagging persistence, riveting attention to fashion and African-American culture, and unrelenting respect for his audiences and his roots.

As he studies the fascinating history of blues music's leading figure, Danchin paints the portrait of a superstar who is both creative genius and dogged human individual.