: His first national hit, "3 O'Clock Blues" (1951), spent 15 weeks on the R&B charts and launched a relentless touring career. The Legend of Lucille
: Born on a cotton plantation in Berclair, Mississippi, King grew up in poverty and began playing guitar in juke joints and local radio. b. b. king
King was inseparable from his trademark black Gibson guitars, all named . : His first national hit, "3 O'Clock Blues"
: After moving to Memphis in 1947, he became a disc jockey on WDIA radio. His on-air name, "Beale Street Blues Boy," was eventually shortened to "Blues Boy" and finally to B.B. . : His first national hit