Skip to content

Top Navigation

EW.com EW.com
    • All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Winter TV
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
    • All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
    • All Music
    • Music Reviews
    • All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
    • All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
    • All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
    • All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
    • All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
    • All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe

Explore EW.com

EW.com EW.com
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The 10 best songs of 2022

      The 10 best songs of 2022

      From disco-trap to deconstructed techno to Dolly-style country, we rank our favorite tracks this year. Read More
    • The 10 best movies of 2022 (and 5 worst)

      The 10 best movies of 2022 (and 5 worst)

      Let there be Mavericks, Bollywood magic, and a Cate Blanchett maestro on the loose. Read More
    • The true story of the g-strings and murders behind Welcome to Chippendales

      The true story of the g-strings and murders behind Welcome to Chippendales

      A look back at the crazy true story of Chippendales founder Somen "Steve" Banerjee and the murder and murder-for-hire plots at the center of the Hulu series. Read More
  • TV

    TV

    See All TV
    • TV Reviews
    • TV Reunions
    • Recaps
    • What to Watch
    • Winter TV
    • Comedy
    • Crime
    • Drama
    • Family
    • Horror
    • Reality
    • Sci-fi
    • Thriller
  • Movies

    Movies

    See All Movies
    • Movie Reviews
    • Trailers
    • Film Festivals
    • Movie Reunions
    • Movie Previews
  • Music

    Music

    See All Music
    • Music Reviews
  • What to Watch

    What to Watch

    See All What to Watch
    • What to Watch Podcast Episodes
    • TV Reviews
    • Movie Reviews
  • BINGE

    BINGE

    See All BINGE
    • EW's Binge Podcast Episodes
    • Recaps
    • Survivor
    • This is Us
    • RuPaul's Drag Race
    • Stranger Things
    • The Boys
    • The Blacklist
    • The Walking Dead
    • Better Call Saul
  • The Awardist

    The Awardist

    See All The Awardist
    • The Awardist Podcast Episodes
    • Oscars
    • Emmys
    • Golden Globes
    • SAG Awards
    • Grammys
    • Tony Awards
  • Books

    Books

    See All Books
    • Book Reviews
    • Author Interviews
  • Theater

    Theater

    See All Theater
    • Theater Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • Gaming
  • Events

    Events

    See All Events
    • Comic-Con
  • Celebrity
  • Streaming

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Gallery
  3. B.B. King through the years: A life in pictures

B.B. King through the years: A life in pictures

Late blues musician's career took him from Memphis to stages as far away as China; snapshots of a blues legend's decades in the spotlight
By EW Staff Updated May 16, 2015 at 05:40 PM EDT
Skip gallery slides
FB

1 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

Portrait, circa 1948, of future blues legend as a young man in Memphis

Portrait, circa 1948, of future blues legend as a young man in Memphis
Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

1 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

King in the recording studio with his ''Lucille'' model Gibson hollowbody electric guitar, circa 1960

King in the recording studio with his ''Lucille'' model Gibson hollowbody electric guitar, circa 1960
Credit: Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

2 of 10

3 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

King on stage with "Lucille," circa 1968

King on stage with "Lucille," circa 1968
Credit: Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

3 of 10

Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

4 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

King, with musicians John Lee Hooker (left) and Papa John Creach (right), performs 'Gettin' It Together' on ''The Midnight Special'' TV show in August 1974 in Los Angeles

King, with musicians John Lee Hooker (left) and Papa John Creach (right), performs 'Gettin' It Together' on ''The Midnight Special'' TV show in August 1974 in Los Angeles
Credit: Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

4 of 10

Advertisement

5 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

King receives an honorary doctor of music degree from Berklee College of Music president Lee Eliot Berk on May 18, 1985

King receives an honorary doctor of music degree from Berklee College of Music president Lee Eliot Berk on May 18, 1985
Credit: Photo by Wendy Maeda/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

5 of 10

6 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

King performs on July 19, 1985, at the Nice Jazz Festival

King performs on July 19, 1985, at the Nice Jazz Festival
Credit: RALPH GATTI/AFP/Getty Images

6 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

7 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

With fellow blues legend Albert King backstage in Cleveland on Feb. 20, 1991

With fellow blues legend Albert King backstage in Cleveland on Feb. 20, 1991
Credit: Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images

7 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement

8 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

King in Beijing, China, May 14, 1994

King in Beijing, China, May 14, 1994
Credit: Photo credit should read MANUEL CENETA/AFP/Getty Images

8 of 10

Advertisement

9 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

King backstage at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards, Feb. 21, 2001

King backstage at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards, Feb. 21, 2001
Credit: Photo by David McNew/Newsmakers

9 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Continued on next slide.
Advertisement

10 of 10

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message

King performs at the Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! at the Nokia Theatre on Dec. 3, 2008

King performs at the Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! at the Nokia Theatre on Dec. 3, 2008
Credit: Photo by Lester Cohen/WireImage

10 of 10

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By EW Staff

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 10 Portrait, circa 1948, of future blues legend as a young man in Memphis
    2 of 10 King in the recording studio with his ''Lucille'' model Gibson hollowbody electric guitar, circa 1960
    3 of 10 King on stage with "Lucille," circa 1968
    4 of 10 King, with musicians John Lee Hooker (left) and Papa John Creach (right), performs 'Gettin' It Together' on ''The Midnight Special'' TV show in August 1974 in Los Angeles
    5 of 10 King receives an honorary doctor of music degree from Berklee College of Music president Lee Eliot Berk on May 18, 1985
    6 of 10 King performs on July 19, 1985, at the Nice Jazz Festival
    7 of 10 With fellow blues legend Albert King backstage in Cleveland on Feb. 20, 1991
    8 of 10 King in Beijing, China, May 14, 1994
    9 of 10 King backstage at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards, Feb. 21, 2001
    10 of 10 King performs at the Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! at the Nokia Theatre on Dec. 3, 2008

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message
    EW.com

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise this link opens in a new tab
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Meredith© Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright EW.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://ew.com

    View image

    B.B. King through the years: A life in pictures
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.