Died On This Date (May 14, 2015) B.B. King / King Of The Blues
themusicsover Riley B. King
September 16, 1925 – May 14. 2015
To many, B.B. King was the greatest bluesman who ever walked the planet. During an astonishing career that spanned seven decades, he almost single-handedly brought the blues into the mainstream. Born on a Mississippi cotton plantation to sharecroppers in 1925, King saw extreme poverty first hand. After his mother left home when he was just four years old, King went to live with his grandmother who went on to raise him. He began his life in music by singing in the church choir as a young boy. By the time he was 15, he was playing the guitar. In 1946, he moved to Memphis to launch his professional career, and within three years, he was making his earliest recordings. King went on to record and perform live for the next 65 years. Along the way he made some of the most iconic and influential records known to man. They include “The Thrill Is Gone,” “3 O’Clock Blues,” “Everyday I Have The Blues,” and “When Love Comes To Town,” which he recorded with U2 in 1988. He’s received countless awards and accolades including 15 Grammy Awards. The list of artists who have claimed him as a major influence is staggering. It includes Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Moore, Jeff Beck, and Keith Richards. In 2006, King kicked off his “farewell” world tour, but thankfully it never ended since he continued to wow audiences right up until October of 2014 when he became too ill to continue. His declining health lead to a couple of hospital stays and ultimately hospice care, which was announced on May 1, 2015. Two weeks later, B.B. King passed away at the age of 89.
What You Should Own
Ben E. King was an American R&B singer whose signature song, “Stand My Me,” is one of the few records to hit the Top 10 in two separate decades – the first being upon release in 1961, the second in 1986 when it was used as the theme song for the very popular film of the same name. In 1958, King was a member of a Harlem doo wop group known as the Five Crowns when the manager of the Drifters recruited them to replace recently fired members of the Drifters. With the Drifters, King scored several hits over the next two years. That list includes “This Magic Moment,” “Save The Last Dance For Me,” and “There Goes My Baby.” He left the group for a solo career in 1960 and went on to release some of the biggest hits of the era including, “Spanish Harlem,” “There Goes My Baby,” and of course, “Stand By Me.” Those three songs are considered to be vital parts of the foundation that shaped rock and roll. Like many R&B acts during the mid ’60s, King’s brand of music was pushed aside by the British Invasion. Even though he continued to record and tour, he wouldn’t hit the charts again until the re-release of “Stand By Me,” 20 years later. His career enjoyed even another bump when hip hop artists began sampling his songs during the ’90s and beyond. He continued to tour into his 70s. Ben E. King was 76 when he passed away on April 30, 2015. Cause of death was not immediately released
Johnny Kemp was a Bahamian R&B singer who, during the 1980s, helped lay the foundation of what would be called new jack swing. Kemp launched his career at the age of 13, singing in local nightclubs. In 1979, he moved to New York City where he sang with the band, Kinky Fox. In 1986 he released his first album which contained his first hit, “Just Another Lover.” What followed was a string of R&B and pop hits including, “Just Got Paid,” “Dancin’ With Myself,” and “Birthday Suit.” Johnny Kemp was 55 when he died on April 16, 2015. Cause and circumstances surroundings his death were immediately unclear.
Percy Sledge was a beloved American R&B singer whose recording of “When A Man Loves A Woman” went on to become one of popular music most enduring ballads. Born in Leighton, Alabama, Sledge earned his keep working in the fields and later as a hospital orderly while singing in area clubs on weekends. A former patient introduced him to a producer friend, leading to his first recording contract. What followed was a string of R&B hits that included “Warm and Tender Love,” “Take Time To Know Her,” “It Tears Me Up,” and of course, “When A Man Loves A Woman,” which was not only a hit upon its original release in 1966, but again in 1983 thanks to its placement in the film, The Big Chill. Sledge continued recording and performing well into the 2000s, and was ultimately inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. Percy Sledge was 73 when he passed away on April 14, 2015. Cause of death was not immediately released