B.B. King Photography

He may have sung the blues all his life, but considering that his musical career lasted from 1949 through 2015, B.B. King sure had many reasons to smile. Throughout his most prolific period in the 1960s and ’70s, he became the unequivocal “King of the Blues” and notched genre touchstones like “The Thrill Is Gone,” “Sweet Little Angel,” “How Blue Can You Get?,” and many more under his boisterous belt.

B.B. toured relentlessly, logging 200-300 live shows every year well into his 70s with his trusty “Lucille” planted firmly by his side. That schedule may have eventually tapered, but King found a second wind in the recording studio in the twilight of his career.

Collaborations with U2 on the smash single “When Love Comes To Town” and the Riding With The King album alongside Eric Clapton rank right up there with his best and most successful work. The 15-time Grammy Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer also opened B.B. King’s Blues Club (now a national chain), which continues to uphold the legacy of this late great guitar legend.