I never stop being amazed at the difference BB King has made not only to the world of music, but to the world in general. It’s usually not until someone passes on (and BB is far from that point…) that we learn of the stories of how generous and giving someone has been throughout their life. Yet with BB, we know that he CONSTANTLY puts his energy into helping troubled youth, gives back to his Southern communities and really is THE ambassador for the blues.
Case in point is the BBKing Blues Museum close to where BB was born and in the community (Indianola MS) where music is of course front and center, but so is education about the delta, its people and programs to support creativity and self-confidence. Along the way we get to learn about the inspiring story of how a sharecropper’s son made it from Indianola in the delta to Memphis and then the world. His has never been a story about his own greatness, it is rather about what is possible…what anyone can do to follow in his footsteps when you hang on to hope and optimism over fear and pessimism.
Has there ever been a more important time for such a message?
It seems that BB King’s message is just as important today for the world as it was 60-years ago.
Here’s a quick video on the museum – I know I have it on my top 10 list for travel. If you have visited the BB King museum, let us know your thoughts – leave a comment.
Filed under bb king by on Sep 1st, 2012. Comment. 
Can’t get enough stories about the early melting pot as Austin became the Blues Guitar ground zero for the likes of the Vaughans, ZZTop, Johnny Winter and opened the scene again for guys like Buddy Guy, Albert King, Albert Collins and Hubert Sumlin…largely impacted by the legendary club Antones – it was really the perfect storm of talent, inspiration, experience and desire and out popped an incredible blues reincarnation.
Here’s one of my favorite interviews with Stevie Ray Vaughan – he was clean, sober, happy and you can see the true man in every response to these questions…watch this
By the way – if you haven’t picked up both volumes of the Craig Hopkins “Day By Day, Night After Night” inside SRV story, you MUST pick this up. There are so many personal stories, original family/friend pictures, private stories from his earliest friends, gig posters and thorough gig lists…I couldn’t put it down.
Two things I pulled out of these volumes…
1. SRV was NOT an overnight success, he put in years of nightly gigs to pay his dues and learn the blues -by the time Texas Flood was released he was likely more experienced than most professional musicians at the end of their careers
2. He was, in many ways, a genius – gifted with an amazing ear and a passion for the guitar that dwarfed anything else in life…just as Steve Jobs obsessed over technology, SRV obsessed over the blues guitar. The books were incredibly insightful and interesting.
Filed under stevie ray vaughan by on Sep 3rd, 2012. Comment.
