B.B. King: The thrill ain’t gone

By Michael Picarella Acorn Staff Writer

B.B. King

Each year, The Canyon in Agoura Hills keeps getting bigger and bigger acts. Club owner Lance Sterling offered as proof last week's appearance by one of greatest musical artists of them all: B.B. King.

The king of blues concert sold out and many of those in the audience weren’t just blues fans, according to Sterling, but also blues musicians.

"In the genre of blues music, you can’t get much better than B.B. King," the Canyon owner said. "And what’s exciting about a show like this is that the people who are in the audience are Kenny Wayne Shepherd and some other unbelievable blues guitarists."

The show was a rockin’ good time, according to King.

"Most of my early years until I was about 25, almost 30, I played nothing but small venues," King said in an interview.

"B.B. King sells out the Thousand Oaks Civic (Arts Plaza) and he also sells out the Greek (Theater in Los Angeles), so for him to play a venue our size, it’s a very intimate special night," Sterling said.

The famous 78-year-old was born in the Mississippi Delta region as Riley B. King. He later became known as B.B. King while working as a D.J. for what was at the time the first all-black radio station on the air. He wanted a catchier name than Riley and changed it to Beale Street Blues Boy. He later changed it to Blues Boy King and eventually to B.B. King.

King’s interest in song began as a child when he was exposed to the music of the church and sang with the congregation. The preacher led the group by playing guitar and later taught King to play a few chords.

In his teens, King played guitar in a five-man chorus known as the Famous St. John’s Gospel Singers. The group occasionally performed live on Mississippi radio. In his spare time, King played the blues on street corners.

King’s big break came in the late ’40s when an old acquaintance with a radio station let him play on a blues show. After the performance, the station was flooded with phone calls inquiring about the new talent. Another radio station contracted King to record a song that would promote a commercial health tonic called Pepticon. King’s lyrics were: "Pepticon, Pepticon, sure is good, you can get it anywhere in your neighborhood."

The popularity of the tune led King to a DJ position at the station. In between records he played his guitar and sang listener requests.

King’s first recording was made in 1949 and three years later he received national recognition for his hit single "Three O’ Clock Blues."

Today, B.B. King is considered to be one of the most influential guitarists of all time. He’s had a major impact on the development of modern blues and rock and roll. He’s often referred to as the "Ambassador of Blues" because he’s constantly on the road performing. He averages more than 240 shows a year. He said this year he’d cut down his touring to about 200 shows a year.

King said the most important aspect of being a blues artist is performing live.

"It’s like you and I meet," King said. "We find something to talk about; one thing I like, one thing that you like. Maybe we find a lot that we have in common. It’s the same thing on the stage. You can tell if the audience doesn’t like it because they’re going to show you. So you change right quickly and try to do something that you think the audience will like and you can tell that because they’ll laugh, they’ll tap their feet and clap their hands."

When it comes to the blues, the future looks bright, King said.

"Today you got more young people than ever before—since I’ve been alive—that’s playing," he said. The new talent has its own style, and that’s good, he said.

King gave credit to filmmaker Martin Scorsese for his recent TV documentary series on the blues.

"My hat’s off to Mr. Scorsese. It was one of the best things that happened to blues since I’ve been trying to play it," King said. This is a nationwide exposure. This doesn’t mean people are going to like it but at least if they see it, they’re going to know about it." For more information about The Canyon Club and upcoming events, call (818) 879-5016 or visit www.canyonclub.net.