Wikimedia Commons/Heinrich Klaffs
Riley King’s Journey from Tractor Driver to Blues Royalty
In 1947, Riley B. King hitched a ride to Memphis with just his guitar and $2.50 in his pocket. He had quit his $15-a-day tractor job for a shot at music.
After a false start, King walked miles in the rain to WDIA studios and won a spot on air. The station, first in America to play just for Black listeners, dubbed him “Beale Street Blues Boy” – soon cut to “B.B. ”
His big break came in 1951 when “3 O’Clock Blues” hit #1, turning his $85 weekly pay into $2,500 overnight…