by Anike Jacobs

It is hard to imagine the blues without B.B. King.

He died Thursday night in sleep, was aged 89.

Facts about him:

1.King was born on September 16, 1925, on a cotton plantation between Indianola and what is now Itta Bena, Mississippi. He sang with church choirs as a child and learned basic guitar chords from his uncle, a preacher.

2. King’s first encounter with a guitar came at a young age. The local revered from the Church of God in Christ brought his instrument to King’s home, and after King was caught touching it, the revered taught him the basics. After that, King taught himself how to play.

3. The legendary blues man released over 50 albums with songs like the Thrill is Gone.

4. B.B. King, the most recognized blues musician of the modern era,  defined the genre for nearly seven decades and inspired countless artists with his unique style of electric guitar play – earning him the nickname the “King of Blues”.

5. King won 15 Grammy awards over his lifetime – more than any other blues musician.

6. He suffered from diabetes and had been in declining health during the past year. He collapsed during a concert in Chicago last October, later blaming dehydration and exhaustion.

7. He had 15 biological and adopted children. Family members say 11 survive.