1. RILEY B. KING (1925- )

2. Early Life  Born September 16, 1925 near Indianola, Mississippi  Parents: Alfred King and Nora Ella King (Sharecroppers) (Sharecroppers)  Worked in the cotton fields as a child and heard “field hollers” sung by plantation workers  Sang and played guitar in church at age 8

3. MUSICAL LIFE  First performed with the gospel group, Elkhorn Jubilee Singers  Moved to Memphis in 1945.  Sang with the Beale Street Blues Boys in Memphis, TN  He worked as a radio DJ at WDIA in Memphis (1948-1952) using the name Blues Boy King

4.  He named his guitar “Lucille”  As a child he played a homemade instrument which was a wire strung on two nails.

5. Musical Influences Blind Lemon Jefferson T-Bone Walker Robert Lockwood, Jr. Bukka White

6. Famous Songs  “Three O’Clock Blues” (1 st hit recording)  “Every Day I Have the Blues”  “The Thrill is Gone” (produced in 1969)

7. Other interests  Co-founder of the Foundation for the Advancement of Inmate Recreation and Rehabilitation (FAIRR)  He has performed many live performances in prisons.

8. AWARDS  6 personal GRAMMY awards  One GRAMMY was received in 2001 for his work with Eric Clapton on a blues album called Riding with the King  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1987)  Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1987)  Kennedy Center Honors (1995)