B.B. King
Wins
15
Nominations
30
Category
Biography
"We all have idols. Play like anyone you care about but try to be yourself while you're doing so."
- Born Riley Ben King on Sept. 16, 1925, in Itta Bena, Mississippi. Died May 14, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada
- B.B. King issued his debut album, Singin' The Blues, in 1956. His first album to break the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 was 1969's Completely Well. The album featured the highest charting hit of his career, a reworking of "The Thrill Is Gone," which reached No. 15.
- King won his first career GRAMMY for 1971 for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male for "The Thrill Is Gone." He performed five times on the GRAMMY telecast, including his GRAMMY performance debut at the 28th GRAMMY Awards in 1986 and taking part in a tribute to Bo Diddley at the 51st GRAMMY Awards in 2009.
- King earned his nickname through work as a disc jockey for the Memphis radio station WDIA-AM, where his on-air nickname was "Beale Street Blues Boy." The tag was shortened to "Blues Boy," then ultimately "B.B."
- King's classic 1965 album, Live At The Regal, was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2006. He received a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987.
- King was on the board of directors for Little Kids Rock, a charity organization that provides musical instruments and instruction to disadvantaged public school students throughout the United States.
All Grammy Awards and Nominations for B.B. King
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Best Traditional Blues Album Winner
One Kind Favor
T Bone Burnett, Mike Piersante, B.B. King
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Best Traditional Blues Album Winner
80
B.B. King, Nathaniel Kunkel
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Best Traditional R&B Performance
Sinner's Prayer
Ray Charles, B.B. King
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Pop Instrumental Performance Winner
Auld Lang Syne
B.B. King
-
Best Traditional Blues Album Winner
A Christmas Celebration Of Hope
John Holbrook, Anthony Daigle, B.B. King
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Pop Collaboration With Vocals Winner
Is You Is, Or Is You Ain't (My Baby)
Dr. John, B.B. King
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Best Traditional Blues Album
Let The Good Times Roll (Album)
B.B. King
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Best Traditional Blues Album Winner
Riding With The King
Simon Climie, Alan Douglas, Eric Clapton, B.B. King
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Best Traditional Blues Album Winner
Blues On The Bayou
B.B. King
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Best Contemporary Blues Album
Deuces Wild (Album)
B.B. King
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Rock Instrumental Performance Winner
SRV Shuffle
Buddy Guy, Art Neville, Jimmie Vaughan, Dr. John, Robert Cray, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt
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Spoken Word Album For Children
John Henry (Album)
Denzel Washington, Doris Wilhousky, B.B. King
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Country Collaboration With Vocal
Patches (Track)
George Jones, B.B. King
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Best Traditional Blues Album Winner
Blues Summit
B.B. King
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Best Traditional Blues Album Winner
Live At The Apollo
B.B. King
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Best Traditional Blues Album Winner
Live At San Quentin
B.B. King
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Best Contemporary Blues Album
Red Hot And Blue (Track)
Lee Atwater, B.B. King
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Country Collaboration With Vocal
Waiting On The Light To Change (Track)
Randy Travis, B.B. King
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Best Contemporary Blues Album
King Of The Blues: 1989 (Album)
B.B. King
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Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
When Love Comes To Town (Single)
Bono, The Edge, U2, Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton, B.B. King
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Best Contemporary Blues Album
Standing On The Edge Of Love (Track)
B.B. King
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Best Traditional Blues Album Winner
My Guitar Sings The Blues
B.B. King
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Best Traditional Blues Album Winner
Blues 'N' Jazz
B.B. King
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R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
Street Life (Track)
Wilton Felder, Josie James, Crusaders, Stix Hooper, Joe Sample, B.B. King
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Traditional Folk Album Winner
There Must Be A Better World Somewhere
B.B. King
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Best R&B Instrumental Performance
When I'm Wrong (Track)
B.B. King
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Male R&B Vocal Performance
It's Just A Matter Of Time (Track)
B.B. King
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Male R&B Vocal Performance
Ain't Nobody Home (Single)
B.B. King
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Male R&B Vocal Performance Winner
The Thrill Is Gone
B.B. King
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Male R&B Vocal Performance
Live And Well (Album)
B.B. King
