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‘King of Blues’ coming to Indy

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B.B. King, known by fans across the world as the “King of the Blues” and “Ambassador of the Blues,” is scheduled to visit Indianapolis soon, as part of a tour.

The legendary guitarist, singer and songwriter will perform at the Murat Centre on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m.

King is arguably the most popular and recognized artist in the blues genre, and his material has also been successful on the R&B and rock charts.

Between the 1950s and ’70s King built a loyal following on the strength of classic recordings such as “Every Day I Have the Blues,” “Ten Long Years,” ‘Sneakin’ Around,” “To Know You is to Love You,” “Sweet Little Angel,” “Whole Lotta’ Love” and “I Like to Live the Love.”

In a recent interview, King said he has been blessed to produce an impressive catalog of material stretched over a half a century. But even he is not sure exactly how many albums and singles he has released.

“I have to be honest with you, I really don’t know,” said King. “But the last time I tried to count, I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 CDs and LPs combined, and over 500 singles.”

King released his biggest hit, “The Thrill Is Gone,” in 1969, which has become a staple of his often sold out live shows.

“Even when not on stage, I play it every night as I feel it every night,” King said. “Not as when I first recorded it, but I play it every night as I feel it at the moment. So it’s always fresh, it’s still fresh. I never get tired of playing it.”

Born Riley B. King in Mississippi, King has been performing professionally since the 1940s, when he arrived in Memphis to purse a job as a musician. Inspired by blues icon T-Bone Walker, King adopted the electric guitar, and developed a powerful, expressive style of improvisational playing that continues to influence guitarists of all genres.

Like blues contemporaries such as Buddy Guy and John Lee Hooker, King has maintained a stable career due to his ability to evolve with the changing times while never abandoning his blues roots.

Rolling Stone magazine named King the third-greatest guitarist of “the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.” He has won 14 Grammy Awards and has been honored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Blues Foundation and the Kennedy Center Honors.

King began making less recordings in the 1990s, but has kept audiences satisfied with his rigorous concert schedule, which has included over 300 shows a year.

King conducted a “farewell” tour of the United States and Europe in 2006, but the reception he received from the crowds was so warm that he decided against retirement.

Whenever King does release a new project it is well received by critics. This was definitely the case for his latest album, the 2008 CD “One Kind Favor.”

In a review Rolling Stone noted, “This isn’t just B.B. King’s best album in years, it’s one of the strongest studio sets of his career, standing alongside classics such as “Singin’ the Blues” and “Lucille.”

Last September King opened the B. B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in his native Indianola, Mississippi.

Although he is now 83 and suffers from diabetes, King does not plan to slow down. He is committed to delivering the most important message that blues has to offer: That regardless of cultural and racial differences, everyone is working to survive and thrive in this difficult world.

“I’m trying to get people to see that we are our brother’s keeper,” King said. “Red, white, black, brown or yellow, rich or poor, we all have the blues.”

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