Blues legend, B.B. King, dies in his sleep

Riley B. King popularly known as B.B king passed away at his Las Vegas home on Thursday night, aged 89 years.

Various sources confirmed that the blues singer died peacefully in his sleep at around 9:40pm after years of living with diabetes and high blood pressure.

B.B King is one of America’s most prominent blues musicians and guitarist who was widely acclaimed as ‘The King of blues’.

Kings career kicked off in the 1940s at a very young age. In 1949, King began recording songs under contract with Los Angeles-based RPM Records.

In his career that spans over 60 years, King has released over 30 studio albums with the help of his favourite black guitar he affectionately called “Lucille”, and won 15 Grammy awards plus a lifetime achievement award in 1987.

On October 4, 2014, King collapsed during a concert, ending his live performance at the House of Blues in Chicago, Illinois. He was subsequently diagnosed with dehydration and suffering exhaustion.

His eight remaining shows of his tour had to be cancelled and he went back home to recuperate.

On May 1, 2015, after two hospitalisations due to high blood pressure and diabetes, it was announced on King’s website that he was placed in hospice care at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada.

King’s greatest hits include “The Three O clock blues” (1951), “You Upset Me Baby” (1954), “Every Day I Have the Blues” (1955), “Sweet Sixteen” (1960) and “Don’t Answer the Door” (1966).

King was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 87 and awarded the national medal of arts in 1990, amongst so many awards commemorating his achievements and greatness.

He fathered 15 adopted and biological children, but he is survived by just 11.