B.B. King performs at the Jazz and Blues Festival in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, on July 6, 1991. Known as “The Ambassador of the Blues,” King spent much of his life on the road, carrying the blues far beyond the clubs and theaters where his sound first took shape. He often performed more than 250 shows a year; in 1956 alone, he played 342 one-night stands. His music took him across the world, including performances in the former Soviet Union in 1979 and at the opening of the Hard Rock Cafe in Beijing, China. By the time he appeared in Belgrade, King was not only one of the defining figures of American blues, but also a global performer whose guitar, Lucille, had become almost as recognizable as his voice.
