All hail the King

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- About two hours in a car and a detour around St. Louis brings you front and center for B.B. King on Wednesday at the Family Arena in St. Charles.

The weekday performance is the only Missouri stop scheduled on his 2008 tour. King has been in the music industry for more than 60 years, but has only gotten better with age.

The man who purportedly hitchhiked to Memphis, Tenn., when he was 22 to play music on Beale Street now has a club that anchors that street. King is such an icon that even his guitar is famous. Lucille has become a signature model designed by King and available from Gibson Guitars.

Blues Boy King doesn't just make music, he creates it, mixing traditional blues, jazz, mainstream pop and swing. He sings every note with passion, whether it's from his deep Deep South voice or using his beloved Lucille.

He has released more than 50 albums over his career. The latest one, "Live!", combines the best of October 2006 appearances at two of his clubs, B.B. King's Blues Club in Nashville, Tenn., and Memphis.

Although he's been inducted into both the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the legendary performer classifies himself as no more than a blues singer. With 14 Grammy Awards and millions of records sold, he's worth the drive.