Blues Boy: The Life and Music of B. B. King (American Made Music Series)

B B. King has never let up in his fight to become the living personification of the best of the blues for the whole world. He was indeed the first to introduce blues to Japanese, Russian, and Chinese audiences. Although he was born in the days of swing and big bands, his music has blossomed and prospered even as rhythm & blues, rock'n'roll, soul, funk, and rap have taken a turn at becoming the height of music fashion. "I don't think there is a better blues guitarist in the world than B. B. King." This statement by Eric Clapton could have been made also by Buddy Guy, the Rolling Stones, or Ireland's U2. All of them, and many others, have said recurrently that the man they nickname "King of the Blues" was their true mentor. By exploring all aspects of King's life and career, this book like none other before provides an objective description of the man and his music. A revision of the edition published in France in 1993 by `editions du Limon, it supplements B. B. King's moving autobiography Blues All Around Me. Whereas King's is a book of memories, this is an objective story with careful historical perspective and observations from key witnesses. It draws on many printed sources, from King's published interviews, and from the author's recurring encounters with King and his manager since 1977. It shows how in some ways B. B. King's life has conformed to the commonly adopted image of the blues singer's early years of poverty and hardship in the American South, a backdrop of cottonfields and muddy waters of the Mississippi River, a musical apprenticeship in the big city (Memphis), and a career that reaches its peak under the spotlights of Las Vegas. B. B. King's success is shown here as the result of his uncommon doggedness, of his constant attention to fashion and to African-American culture, and of his respect for his audiences and his roots. By exploring all aspects of blues music's leading figure, this book conveys a portrait of a creative genius who also is just a man.B B. King has never let up in his fight to become the living personification of the best of the blues for the whole world. He was indeed the first to introduce blues to Japanese, Russian, and Chinese audiences. Although he was born in the days of swing and big bands, his music has blossomed and prospered even as rhythm & blues, rock'n'roll, soul, funk, and rap have taken a turn at becoming the height of music fashion. "I don't think there is a better blues guitarist in the world than B. B. King." This statement by Eric Clapton could have been made also by Buddy Guy, the Rolling Stones, or Ireland's U2. All of them, and many others, have said recurrently that the man they nickname "King of the Blues" was their true mentor. By exploring all aspects of King's life and career, this book like none other before provides an objective description of the man and his music. A revision of the edition published in France in 1993 by `editions du Limon, it supplements B. B. King's moving autobiography Blues All Around Me. Whereas King's is a book of memories, this is an objective story with careful historical perspective and observations from key witnesses. It draws on many printed sources, from King's published interviews, and from the author's recurring encounters with King and his manager since 1977. It shows how in some ways B. B. King's life has conformed to the commonly adopted image of the blues singer's early years of poverty and hardship in the American South, a backdrop of cottonfields and muddy waters of the Mississippi River, a musical apprenticeship in the big city (Memphis), and a career that reaches its peak under the spotlights of Las Vegas. B. B. King's success is shown here as the result of his uncommon doggedness, of his constant attention to fashion and to African-American culture, and of his respect for his audiences and his roots. By exploring all aspects of blues music's leading figure, this book conveys a portrait of a creative genius who also is just a man.

B B. King has never let up in his fight to become the living personification of the best of the blues for the whole world. He was indeed the first to introduce blues to Japanese, Russian, and Chinese audiences. Although he was born in the days of swing and big bands, his music has blossomed and prospered even as rhythm & blues, rock'n'roll, soul, funk, and rap have taken a turn at becoming the height of music fashion.

"I don't think there is a better blues guitarist in the world than B. B. King." This statement by Eric Clapton could have been made also by Buddy Guy, the Rolling Stones, or Ireland's U2. All of them, and many others, have said recurrently that the man they nickname "King of the Blues" was their true mentor.

By exploring all aspects of King's life and career, this book like none other before provides an objective description of the man and his music. A revision of the edition published in France in 1993 by 'editions du Limon, it supplements B. B. King's moving autobiography Blues All Around Me. Whereas King's is a book of memories, this is an objective story with careful historical perspective and observations from key witnesses. It draws on many printed sources, from King's published interviews, and from the author's recurring encounters with King and his manager since 1977.

It shows how in some ways B. B. King's life has conformed to the commonly adopted image of the blues singer's early years of poverty and hardship in the American South, a backdrop of cottonfields and muddy waters of the Mississippi River, a musical apprenticeship in the big city (Memphis), and a career that reaches its peak under the spotlights of Las Vegas.

B. B. King's success is shown here as the result of his uncommon doggedness, of his constant attention to fashion and to African-American culture, and of his respect for his audiences and his roots. By exploring all aspects of blues music's leading figure, this book conveys a portrait of a creative genius who also is just a man.

Sebastian Danchin, a specialist in African-American culture, appears on France Inter, a leading radio network in his country. As an editor or author he has contributed studies of blues music and musicians to five volumes published in France and to periodicals in France, the U. K., Europe, and the U. S. A.

Sebastian Danchin offers a detailed portrait of the King of Blues.

B B. King has never let up in his fight to become the living personification of the best of the blues for the whole world. He was indeed the first to introduce blues to Japanese, Russian, and Chinese audiences. Although he was born in the days of swing and big bands, his music has blossomed and prospered even as rhythm & blues, rock'n'roll, soul, funk, and rap have taken a turn at becoming the height of music fashion. ''I don't think there is a better blues guitarist in the world than B. B. King.'' This statement by Eric Clapton could have been made also by Buddy Guy, the Rolling Stones, or Ireland's U2. All of them, and many others, have said recurrently that the man they nickname ''King of the Blues'' was their true mentor. By exploring all aspects of King's life and career, this book like none other before provides an objective description of the man and his music. A revision of the edition published in France in 1993 by `editions du Limon, it supplements B. B. King's moving autobiography __Blues All Around Me.__ Whereas King's is a book of memories, this is an objective story with careful historical perspective and observations from key witnesses. It draws on many printed sources, from King's published interviews, and from the author's recurring encounters with King and his manager since 1977. It shows how in some ways B. B. King's life has conformed to the commonly adopted image of the blues singer's early years of poverty and hardship in the American South, a backdrop of cottonfields and muddy waters of the Mississippi River, a musical apprenticeship in the big city (Memphis), and a career that reaches its peak under the spotlights of Las Vegas. B. B. King's success is shown here as the result of his uncommon doggedness, of his constant attention to fashion and to African-American culture, and of his respect for his audiences and his roots. By exploring all aspects of blues music's leading figure, this book conveys a portrait of a creative genius who also is just a man. Sebastian Danchin, a specialist in African-American culture, appears on France Inter, a leading radio network in his country. As an editor or author he has contributed studies of blues music and musicians to five volumes published in France and to periodicals in France, the U. K., Europe, and the U. S. A. Aucun guitariste de blues au monde n?est l?gal de B.B. King , dclare Eric Clapton, tandis que les Rolling Stones, Buddy Guy et les rockers irlandais de U2 prsentent le Roi du blues comme leur matre incontest. Si sa jeunesse misreuse dans un Delta la Faulkner divis par la sgrgation colle au clich habituel du bluesman, la chronique de sa russite ressemble ces contes de fes qu?aime exporter l?Amrique. La carrire de B.B. King est le rsultat d?une opinitret peu commune, d?une intelligence exceptionnelle et d?une personnalit consensuelle ; elle est aussi le fruit d?un pragmatisme qui aura permis ce reprsentant de la petite bourgeoisie noire mergente de l?re des Droits civiques de transcender les barrires raciales et conomiques pour s?imposer comme l?une des icnes d?un melting-pot amricain plus illusoire que jamais. De la plantation aux paillettes de Las Vegas aprs un passage oblig par le chitlin circuit afro-amricain et les grands festivals rock, la route aura t longue pour l?ancien conducteur de tracteur du Mississippi dont le blues lectrique, n l?poque des balbutiements du rhythm & blues, a russi s?panouir au fur et mesure que le rock?n?roll, la soul, le disco et le hip-hop monopolisaient le devant de la scne. Inventeur d?un style de guitare dli qui a marqu en profondeur la musique populaire de toute la plante, B.B. King accde enfin au rang de superstar internationale l?ge de soixante-quinze ans. Appuyant sa rflexion sur un quart de sicle de rencontres avec King, mais aussi sur l?ensemble des sources bibliographiques publies ce jour, l?auteur propose ici un portrait objectif et rigoureux, mettant jour un premier travail biographique accueilli avec succs aux Etats-Unis il y a quelques annes. Homme de radio et de tlvision, musicien et producteur artistique dont le travail a t rcemment rcompens par une Victoire de la Musique, Sebastian Danchin est un spcialiste de la culture afro-amricaine. Entre autres ouvrages, il est l?auteur chez le mme diteur d?une Encyclopdie du Rhythm & Blues et de la Soul ; il collabore diverses revues musicales spcialises aux Etats-Unis, en Sude, en Grande-Bretagne et, en France, aux magazines Jazzman, Pianiste et Soul Bag. In 'Blues Boy,' Sebastian Danchin, a writer from France, paints a powerful portrait of this internationally revered bluesman. Like no other book before, his fully explores King's rich life and career and complements Blues All Around Me, King's moving autobiography. With objectivity and careful perspective he introduces key figures in King's biography and draws on many printed sources, published interviews, and his own recurring encounters with King and his manager. This portrait shows a life that has conformed to the traditional image of the blues singer: early years of poverty and hardship in the American South, a backdrop of cotton fields and the muddy Mississippi, a musical apprenticeship in the big city (Memphis), and a career that peaks under the spotlights of Las Vegas.