B.B. King’s 100th birthday celebration in Memphis: See what’s planned

Sept. 16, 2025, will be a milestone in the history of Memphis and American music, as it marks what would have been B.B. King’s 100th birthday.

To all who ever heard him play, King was the one true king of the blues. A musical giant, cultural icon and pre-eminent influence on guitarists for more than 60 years, King was singularly synonymous with the genre he loved and helped turn it into a global touchstone.

To celebrate his centenary, B.B. King’s Blues Club and Memphis Tourism will present two days of music and celebrations on Sept. 14 and 16. Here’s what you should know about King and the upcoming events.

Who was the ‘King of the Blues’?

In a career that spanned eight decades, King’s achievements and credits were legion. Universally hailed as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, he was given honorary doctorates from Ivy League schools, a Presidential Medal of Freedom and Kennedy Center Honors, had been enshrined in the Blues and Rock ‘n’ Roll halls of fame, and won more than a dozen Grammy Awards. King was lavished with praise for more than half a century by his fellow artists. Several generations of the world’s biggest musical stars would cite his emotive singing, lyrical playing and unparalleled vibrato as the height of the blues and the foundation of their own work.

Born Riley B. King in Berclair, Mississippi, between Itta Bena and Indianola, in 1925, he was the great-grandson of a slave. King’s childhood was filled with heartbreak: His younger brother died as an infant, his parents then separated and his mother died when he was 9. He was raised by his grandmother, who passed away during his teens. Blues music — through the records of Lonnie Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson and via his cousin, the slide guitar master Bukka White — had a profound effect on the young King.

By the late ’40s King had moved to the Bluff City, where he soaked up the hothouse atmosphere. With the help of blues harpist Sonny Boy Williamson, King got a residency playing in West Memphis, a wide-open town, known for its nightlife and backroom gambling.

Before long, King went knocking on the doors of Memphis’ newly launched all-Black-operated radio station WDIA. After a successful audition in the lobby of the station, he landed a daily 15-minute spot as “The Pepticon Boy” — selling the booze-filled “health tonic.” King — who picked up the moniker Blues Boy and, finally, B.B. — would rise through the regional entertainment ranks, playing both deep and urbane blues on “Lucille,” the nickname given to his Gibson guitar. He began recording at Sam Phillips’ fledgling Memphis Recording Service, releasing his first sides for the Modern and R.P.M. labels.

In 1952, he scored his first hit record, the chart-topping R&B number “3 O’Clock Blues.” Over the next decade, he would release a steady stream of hit singles, helping him rise from the Chitlin’ Circuit to the pinnacle of Black entertainment. His crack big band show, as captured on a 1964 album recorded in Chicago, “Live at the Regal,” remains one of the great blues albums. King’s work would resonate especially strongly in Britain, where a generation of budding blues guitarists — from Eric Clapton to Jeff Beck to Jimmy Page — would feel his impact in the 1960s. King’s influence on this generation of rockers would lead to his late ’60s/early ’70s crossover to the White market. He would have his biggest chart triumph with 1969’s Top 20 hit and Grammy-winning single “The Thrill Is Gone.”

By the ’70s, King had become a sort of ambassador for the blues, exposing the music to its biggest audiences through his performances on Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show.” King continued to tour tirelessly over the next few decades, spending an average of 250 nights on the road. He opened stadium shows for the likes of the Rolling Stones and U2, made appearances in a dozen films, headlined festivals and released more than 80 albums. He was still working on the road just before his death in 2015.

How will Memphis mark B.B. King’s 100th birthday?

To honor King on his 100th birthday, B.B. King’s Blues Club and Memphis Tourism will stage a two-day celebration on Sept. 14 and 16 to “honor the legacy of ‘The King of the Blues’ in the city he forever shaped.” This will include a mix of free and ticketed events, bringing together renowned national artists and local talent.

From 2-6 p.m. Sept. 14, there will be a free, family-friendly block party festival outside of B.B. King’s Blues Club on Beale Street, with live performances from Eric Gales, Rodd Bland and Friends, Mr. Sipp, the Stax Music Academy, Grizzline, Corey Lou & DaVillage Band, Beale Street Flippers and Whitehaven High School. The event will be hosted by WREG’s Kontji Anthony with DJ Stan Bell.

Then, starting at 6 p.m. Sept. 16, B.B. King’s Blues Club will be the scene of a ticketed, all-star concert with performances by Bobby Rush, Eric Gales, Boo Mitchell, Carla Thomas & Jerome Chism with Hi Rhythm, Southern Avenue, D.K. Harrell, Shirley King & the B.B. King All‑Star Legends and a jam session by B.B. King’s Alumni All Stars. The event will be hosted by David Porter, a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and part of Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time” list.

In a statement announcing the celebration, Sara Fay Egan, president and CEO of Beale Street Blues Company, said: “King’s music echoes far beyond the blues — it’s the heartbeat of American cultural heritage. At B.B. King’s Blues Club, we celebrate not just his sound, but the legacy of storytelling, soul and Southern roots that shaped generations. We invite everyone — from Memphis to the coasts — to witness where history still plays live.”

Kevin Kane, president and CEO of Memphis Tourism, said the event would “serve as a time to pay tribute to the impact that B.B. King had on Memphis and the world — a legacy that continues to bring domestic and international visitors to Memphis year-round. B.B. King helped to put Memphis music on the map. His legacy lives on as the King of the Blues, far beyond his 100th birthday.”

Where will the B.B. King celebrations take place?

The action will take place in and around B.B. King’s Blues Club at 143 Beale St. The venerable Downtown venue has honored King’s musical legacy as a premier destination for live blues, Southern cuisine and immersive experiences since opening in 1991, helping transform and reinvigorate Downtown Memphis’ historic entertainment district.

Are tickets still available?

Although the event outside B.B. King’s on Sept. 14 will be free and open to the public (and is expected to draw big crowds), the concert inside the club on Sept. 16 is a ticketed concert and includes dinner. Admission to this event is $250 (plus taxes and fees). A limited number of seats are available. To purchase tickets, go to Eventbrite.com.

Are any other local events marking B.B. King’s big birthday?

Earlier this summer, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music launched a photo exhibit to coincide with King’s 100th. “B.B. King in Memphis” features a collection of black-and-white images from King’s 1982 Labor Day weekend concert at the Mud Island Amphitheater. Captured by Memphis photographer Alan Copeland, the images are being publicly displayed for the first time.

Fittingly, the exhibit is sponsored by the Memphis-based tank and barrel manufacturer, Newberry Tanks. When the young King first arrived in Memphis in 1946, he needed a day job to pay the bills that his nighttime gigs on Beale Street would not cover. His cousin and fellow blues musician, Booker “Bukka” White, got him a job as a welder at Newberry Tanks. King only stayed at the job for a few months before returning to the Delta, only to return and make his mark on the radio. White and King were two of the many Memphis musicians to work for the company over the years.

In addition to the photographs, the exhibit includes a custom-programmed lounge jukebox featuring King’s 1982 setlist and rare audio from his time on the air at WDIA. “B.B. King in Memphis” will run through Oct. 19 and can be accessed with a general admission ticket to the Stax Museum.