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…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

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

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.

If you love King of the Blues...

Book cover of The Rosewood Penny

The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields,

2023 Queer Indie Award Nominee!

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction.

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band they rob from the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive…

Want books like King of the Blues?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 38 books like King of the Blues.

Browse books like King of the Blues

Book cover of I Ain't Studdin' Ya: My American Blues Story
Book cover of Urban Blues
Book cover of Southern Gods

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,340

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like King of the Blues, you might also like...

Book cover of Murder, Lies and Chocolate

Murder, Lies and Chocolate by Sally Berneathy,

Book 2, Death by Chocolate series.

Rodney Bradford comes into Lindsay's restaurant, offers to buy her small house for double its value, eats her brownies, and drops dead on the sidewalk in front. Next, her almost-ex-husband offers to sign the divorce papers, but only if she'll give him her small,…

Book cover of Tangle of Time

Tangle of Time by Maureen Thorpe,

A spellbinding journey through time and cultures.

When Annie Thornton, midwife and apprentice witch, falls through time to a 15th-century Yorkshire village with her telepathic cat, Rosamund, she befriends Will and Jack, two soldiers returning from the French Wars. Mistress Meg, Annie’s ancestral aunt living in the 15th century, is…

5 book lists we think you will like!