BLUES ALL AROUND ME. The Autobiography of B. B. King. Signed
New York: Avon, (1996). First edition. Hardcover. This copy is signed by B. B. King in his distinctive hand. King (1925-2015) has defined the blues for a worldwide audience. Since he started recording in the 1940s, he has released over fifty albums, many of them classics. Riley B. King, born on a plantation in Itta Bena, Mississippi, near Indianola was also a songwriter and record producer. After serving in World War II he became a disc jockey in Memphis where he was dubbed "the Beale Street Blues Boy." That nickname was shortened to "B.B." and the guitarist cut his first record in 1949. He spent the next several decades recording and touring, playing more than 300 shows a year. He won his 15th Grammy Award in 2009. Coincidentally, the year that King made his first recording was also the same year that he named his beloved guitar. King attended a dance in Twist, Arkansas, that had a barrel lit with kerosene in the middle of the dance floor, used to keep the crowd warm late at night. While there, a fight broke out and the barrel was knocked over, causing a fire to spread throughout the venue. Everyone evacuated, including King, but he rushed back inside to retrieve his prized guitar. Luckily, he managed to escape with his guitar as the building collapsed around him. King later learned that the fight erupted because of a woman who worked at the venue named Lucille. From then on, King named his guitar "Lucille" to remind himself never to do anything so foolish again. In 1962, King signed with ABC Records, which released Live at the Regal (1965), a benchmark blues concert album. In 1969, he released his biggest hit single, "The Thrill is Gone." King also found commercial success with the many collaborations he made over the years, including with artists like Sheryl Crow, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison and Bonnie Raitt. In 1987, King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Illustrated from photographs. A nearly fine copy, with list foxing to the top edge, in a fine dust jacket. Item #14553
Price: $375.00