Why read King of the Blues?

Book cover of King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King

Book description

The first full and authoritative biography of an American—indeed a world-wide—musical and cultural legend

“No one worked harder than B.B. No one inspired more up-and-coming artists. No one did more to spread the gospel of the blues.”—President Barack Obama

“He is without a doubt the most important artist the blues…

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Why read it?

1 author picked King of the Blues as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Bob Beatty

Author

There is a reason we hail B.B. King as the King of the Blues. King is a cultural icon of immeasurable influence that extends far beyond the blues. De Vise tracks King's journey in great detail, from his Mississippi sharecropper upbringing, to his rise to fame among Black audiences, to breaking through with white audiences in the late 1960s, and ultimately achieving legendary status. An outstanding read, that gave me new insight into one of the 20th century's greats.

From Bob's 3 favorite reads in 2024.