B.B. King to Play Costa Mesa's Segerstrom Hall, 12/8

Legendary blues guitarist B.B. King makes his long awaited Segerstrom Center debut on Sunday, December 8 at 7:00 p.m. in Segerstrom Hall. One of the most influential bluesmen of all time, King began his career as a professional musician in the 1940s and he continues to perform more than 100 concerts each year. He has recorded more than 60 albums and has received dozens of awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Kennedy Center Honor, 15 Grammy Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Grammy.

Tickets for B.B. King start at $59 and will go on sale Sunday, September 22 at 10 a.m. PT. Single tickets will be available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787 at a later date to be announced. For inquiries about groups of 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746.

Riley B. King - better known as B.B. King - has been enthralling audiences worldwide and defining the blues for more than six decades. Growing up in the Mississippi Delta, he played on street corners for dimes and would sometimes play in as many as four towns a night. His passion for music led him to Memphis, where he was able to pursue a music career. King's first big break came in 1948 when he performed on Sonny Boy Williamson's radio program on KWEM out of West Memphis. This led to steady engagements at the Sixteenth Avenue Grill in West Memphis and later to a ten-minute spot on Memphis radio station WDIA. "King's Spot" became so popular that it was expanded and renamed the "Sepia Swing Club." Soon King himself needed a catchy radio name. What started out as Beale Street Blues Boy was shortened to Blues Boy King, and, finally, B.B. King.

King's illustrious career includes a bevy of awards and accolades as well as honorary doctorates. In 1984 he was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and, in 1987, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That same year, he received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award. In 1990, King received the prestigious Presidential Medal of the Arts and, in 1991, the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts. King received the Kennedy Center Honor in 1995. King tours globally, performing an average of 125 concerts per year. Classics such as "Payin' The CostTo Be The Boss," "The Thrill Is Gone," How Blue Can You Get," "Everyday I Have The Blues," and "Why I Sing The Blues" are concert (and fan) staples.

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