Google Honors the King with Bountiful Blues
By Andrew Greenway, 9/16/19 (Header image by Heinrich Klaffs @ Flickr Commons)
Being no stranger to keeping the memory of past greats in the thoughts and minds of future generations, Google’s latest Doodle honors B.B. King, better known as the King of Blues. Much like the search engine responsible for the ambitious animation, Harbinger Student Media is eager to celebrate his 94th birthday and expose fresh ears to the somber croons of the South.
Although, the Roarin’ 20’s was known as the age of jazz and urban expansion, for a young Riley B. King this was not a universal experience. Born on a sharecropper farm in September 16, 1925, most of King’s childhood was spent in the fields and churches of Mississippi Delta, hundreds of miles from the bustling urban hubs of the North. Although poverty was the norm for blacks living in the South, King’s infatuation with the rich soulful sounds of gospel would fuel his music, giving him a distinct sound that would later cement him as an American pioneer of music and his birthplace (Indianola, Mississippi) a mecca for blues lovers across the globe.
According to the personal website of King, “For more than half a century, Riley B. King – better known as B.B. King – 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…in his youth, he played on street corners for dimes, and would sometimes play in as many as four towns a night. In 1947, he hitchhiked to Memphis, TN, to pursue his music career.”
In the behind the scenes video, artist Steve Spencer and Google art director Angelica McKinley explore what Mr. King’s journey to Memphis, paying their respects to his humble roots which lead to his long but steady rise to fame. From his earliest days of living with his cousin Bukka White, another celebrated blues performer of the time, to getting his first break into wider recognition in 1948 on Sonny Boy Williamson’s radio show.
Over time, King’s fame grew into the Beale Street Blue Boy eventually becoming the Blues Boy King and having his own spot in town which remains popular to this day, going by many names. “King’s Spot” and the “Sepia Swing Club” to name a few.
Although his number-one hit, “Three O’Clock Blues,” began B.B.’s national prospects, Google’s Doodle is accompanied by his second track off his album Deuces Wild “The Thrill is Gone.” A woeful song about a simmering flame that’s lost its luster, it highlights what made B.B. King’s style so enamoring to many. It is also among his most popular crossover hits, reaching all the way to #15 on the pop charts.
Owing much of his instrumental style to the likes of Blind Lemon Jefferson and T-Bone Walker among others, Mr. King’s economy of notes to vocals has created a lasting impact on music and given him one of the most distinctive sounds in music. Setting himself apart from his influences, his contemporaries, and even his imitators.
The success and influence of the King can’t be understated. He’s been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1984, quickly followed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in the same year. Mr. King has been granted honorary doctorates from a variety of colleges throughout his lifetime, including some of the largest schools in the Black Ivy League such as Tougaloo and the nationally revered Yale and Brown University. In 1992, he received the National Award of Distinction from the University of Mississippi.
B.B. King also had a chain of highly successful blues club throughout the national, first opening on Beale Street in Memphis, and expanding from Los Angeles to as far as Connecticut in January 2002. Not shying away from sharing his experience, over the years, B.B. has released many autobiographies and the subject of many biographies, including the 2012 Jon Brewer documentary, narrated by Morgan Freeman and featuring interviews from the man him, B.B. King: the Life of Riley.
Many figures have come forward admiring King’s work, many of which were interviewed in Life of Riley, included renowned musicians such as Bono, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Mick Taylor, Ringo Starr, and Slash.
His decorated life still remains a massive mark on the blues genre despite his peaceful passing on May 14th, 2015.
Spencer’s passionate depiction of King’s story is not the first of his kind. Much of his work pays tribute to great rock and country artists of the past such as in his recent piece a tribute to the Fender Telecaster and another piece he created honoring the King of Blues in his distinctive pop art style.
B.B.’s story remains a source of inspiration for musicians and artists across the generations, yet, one of his most enduring insights on life is one he made for the Charlotte Observer October 5th, 1997. “The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.”
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