Riley B. King (lahir 16 September 1925 – meninggal 14 Mei 2015 pada umur 89 tahun), yang lebih dikenal dengan sebutan B.B. King, adalah seorang penyanyi blues, gitaris elektrik, penulis lagu, dan produser rekaman Amerika. King mengenalkan gaya tersofistikasi dari permainan solo berbasis pada irama petikan dan suara vibrato yang mempengaruhi beberapa gitaris elektrik blues.King dicantumkan dalam Rock and Roll Hall of Fame pada 1987, dan dianggap menjadi salah satu musisi blues berpengaruh sepanjang masa, berjudul "Raja Blues", dan salah satu dari "Tiga Raja dari Gitar Blues" bersama dengan Albert King dan Freddie King. King dikenal karena tampil cemerlang sepanjang karier musiknya, tampil di lebih dari 200 konser per tahun sampai tahun 70an. Pada 1956 sendiri, ia dikabarkan tampil di 342 acara.
King lahir di penanaman kapas di Berclair, Mississippi, dan kemudian bekerja sebagai buruh kapas di Indianola, Mississippi. Ia belajar musik dan gitar di gereja, dan memulai karier penampilannya di juke joints dan radio lokal. Ia kemudian menetap di Memphis, Tennessee, dan Chicago, dan terkadang berkeliling dunia. King wafat di usia 89 tahun di Las Vegas, Nevada, pada 14 Mei 2015, akibat komplikasi gagal jantung dan diabetes.
Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. King introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending and shimmering vibrato that influenced many later electric blues guitarists.
King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and is considered one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, earning the nickname "The King of the Blues", and is considered one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert and Freddie King). King was known for performing tirelessly throughout his musical career, appearing on average at more than 200 concerts per year into his 70s. In 1956 alone, he reportedly appeared at 342 shows.
King was born on a cotton plantation in Itta Bena, Mississippi, and later worked at a cotton gin in Indianola, Mississippi. He was attracted to music and the guitar in church, and began his career in juke joints and local radio. He later lived in Memphis, Tennessee, and Chicago, and as his fame grew, toured the world extensively. King died at the age of 89 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 14, 2015.
