JACKSON, Miss. — A Mississippi music legend is celebrating a birthday today. It’s Riley B king, but you know him best as BB King. He was born on a plantation in Itta Bena Mississippi on September 16, 1925.
King started out playing on street corners for a dime and got his first break in 1948 when he performed in on Sonny Boy Williamson’s radio program on a station out of West Memphis.
King is known for hits like “The Thrill is Gone,” “How Blue Can You Get” and “Everyday I have the Blues.”
He was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He holds honorary degrees from several universities, including Tougaloo College and Mississippi Valley State
King is 88 today. You can send him a birthday wish by visiting his Facebook page: facebook.com/bbking
