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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 20, 2015)
M a y 20 , 20 1 5 P a g e 1 1 M fi s s fi s s fi p p fi A fl b e r t a N o r t h P o r t fl a n d V a n c o u v e r E a s t C o u n t y B e a v e r t o n K fi n g B . B . K fing pe r fo rm s a t the Bonna roo mu s fi c fe s t fi va fl fin Man che s t e r , T enn . , fin 2008 . (AP pho t o ) ‘Th r fi fl fl fi s Gon e ’ fl eg end B .B . K fing r em emb e r ed (AP ) — B .B . K fing , who s e s co r ch fing gu fi t a r fl fi ck s and h e a r t f e fl t vo c a fl s m ad e h fim th e fido fl o f g en e r a t fion s o f mu s fi c fi an s and f an s wh fi fl e e a rn fing h fim th e n fi ckn am e K fing o f th e B flu e s , fi s b e fing r em emb e r ed a f t e r h fi s d e a th a t th e ag e o f 89 . A fl though h e h ad con t finu ed to p e r fo rm w e fl fl fin to h fi s 80 s , th e 15 - t fim e G r ammy w finn e r su f f e r ed f rom d fi ab e t e s and h ad b e en fin d e c fl fin fing h e a fl th . H e w a s fin ho s- p fi c e c a r e a t h fi s L a s V eg a s hom e wh en h e d fi ed on Thu r sd ay . Fo r mo s t o f a c a r e e r sp ann fing n e a r fly 70 y e a r s , R fi fl ey B . K fing w a s no t on fly th e und fi spu t ed k fing o f th e b flu e s bu t a m en- to r to s co r e s o f gu fi t a r fi s t s , who fin c flud ed E r fi c C fl ap ton , O t fi s Ru sh , Buddy Guy , J fim fi B fl u e s o f t h e H end r fix , John M ay a fl fl and K e fi th R fi ch- a rd s . H e r e co rd ed mo r e th an 50 a flbum s and tou r ed th e wo r fld w e fl fl fin to h fi s 80 s , o f t en p e r fo rm fing 250 o r mo r e con c e r t s a y e a r . K fing p fl ay ed a G fib son gu fi t a r h e a f f e c- t fion a t e fly c a fl fl ed Lu c fi fl fl e w fi th a s ty fl e th a t fin c flud ed b e au t fi fu fl fly c r a f t ed s fing fl e - s t r fing run s pun c tu a t ed by floud cho rd s , sub t fl e v fi - b r a to s and b en t no t e s . Th e r e su fl t cou fld b r fing ch fi fl fl s to an aud fi- en c e , no mo r e so th an wh en K fing u s ed fi t to fu fl fl e f f e c t on h fi s s fign a tu r e song , “Th e Th r fi fl fl fi s Gon e . ” H e wou fld m ak e h fi s gu fi- t a r shou t and c ry fin angu fi sh a s h e to fld th e t a fl e o f fo r s ak en flov e , th en end w fi th a gu t - tu r a fl shou t fing o f th e fin a fl fl fin e s : “Now th a t fi t ’ s a fl fl ov e r , a fl fl I c an do fi s w fi sh you w e fl fl . ” H fi s s ty fl e w a s unu su a fl . K fing d fidn ’ t fl fik e to s fing and p fl ay a t th e s am e t fim e , so h e d ev e flop ed a c a fl fl - and - r e spon s e b e tw e en h fim and Lu c fi fl fl e . A p r e a ch e r un c fl e t augh t h fim to p fl ay , and h e hon ed h fi s t e chn fiqu e fin ab j e c t pov - e r ty fin th e M fi s s fi s s fipp fi D e fl t a , th e b fi r th - p fl a c e o f th e b flu e s . “ I ’v e a flw ay s t r fi ed to d e f end th e fid e a th a t th e b flu e s do e sn ’ t h av e to b e sung by a p e r son who com e s f rom M fi s s fi s s fipp fi , a s I d fid , ” h e s a fid fin th e 1988 book “O f f th e R e- co rd : An O r a fl H fi s to ry o f Popu fl a r Mu s fi c . ” “P eop fl e a fl fl ov e r th e wo r fld h av e p rob - fl em s , ” h e s a fid . “And a s flong a s p eop fl e h av e p rob fl em s , th e b flu e s c an n ev e r d fi e . ” F e fl flow t r av e fl e r s who took K fing up on th a t th eo ry fin c flud ed C fl ap ton , th e B r fi t - fi sh -bo rn b flu e s - ro ck e r who co fl fl abo r a t ed w fi th h fim on “R fid fing W fi th th e K fing , ” a b e s t - s e fl fl e r th a t won a G r ammy fin 2000 fo r b e s t t r ad fi t fion a fl b flu e s a flbum . S t fi fl fl , th e D e fl t a ’ s finflu en c e w a s und en fi- ab fl e . K fing b eg an p fi ck fing co t ton on t en an t f a rm s a round Ind fi ano fl a , M fi s s fi s s fipp fi , b e - fo r e h e w a s a t e en ag e r , b e fing p a fid a s fl fi t - t fl e a s 35 c en t s fo r ev e ry 100 pound s , and w a s s t fi fl fl wo rk fing o f f sh a r e c ropp fing d eb t s a f t e r h e go t ou t o f th e A rmy du r fing W o r fld W a r Two . K fing go t h fi s s t a r t fin r ad fio w fi th a go sp e fl qu a r t e t fin M fi s s fi s s fipp fi , bu t soon mov ed to M emph fi s , T enn . , wh e r e a job a s a d fi s c jo ck ey a t WD IA g av e h fim a c c e s s to a w fid e r ang e o f r e co rd fing s . H e s tud fi ed th e g r e a t b flu e s and j a z z gu fi t a r fi s t s , fin c flud fing D j ango R e finh a rd t and T -Bon e W a flk e r , and p fl ay ed fl fiv e mu s fi c a f ew m finu t e s e a ch d ay a s th e “B e a fl e S t r e e t B flu e s Boy , ” fl a t e r sho r t en ed to B .B . Th rough h fi s b ro ad c a s t s and fl fiv e p e r- fo rm an c e s , h e qu fi ck fly bu fi fl t up a fo fl flow - fing fin th e b fl a ck commun fi ty , and r e co rd ed h fi s fi r s t R&B h fi t , “Th r e e O ’C flo ck B flu e s , ” fin 1951 . H e b eg an to b r e ak th rough to wh fi t e au- d fi en c e s , p a r t fi cu fl a r fly young ro ck f an s , fin th e 1960 s w fi th a flbum s fl fik e “L fiv e a t th e R eg a fl , ” wh fi ch wou fld fl a t e r b e d e c fl a r ed a h fi s to r fi c sound r e co rd fing wo r thy o f p r e s- e rv a t fion by th e L fib r a ry o f Cong r e s s ’ N a - t fion a fl R e co rd fing R eg fi s t ry . H e fu r th e r exp and ed h fi s aud fi en c e w fi th a 1968 app e a r an c e a t th e N ewpo r t Fo flk F e s t fiv a fl and wh en h e op en ed show s fo r th e Ro fl fl fing S ton e s fin 1969 . C ONTINUED ON P AGE 14