B.B. King’s reign as King of the Blues has been as long as that of any monarch on earth. Yet he continues to wear his crown well. At age 76, he is still light on his feet, singing and playing the blues with relentless passion. Time has no apparent effect on B.B., other than to make him more popular, more cherished, more relevant than ever. For more than half a century, Riley B. King – better known as B.B. King – has defined the blues for a worldwide audience. Since he started recording in the 1940s, he has released over fifty albums, many of them classics.

B.B. was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and received NARAS’ Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1987. B.B. continues to tour extensively, averaging over 250 concerts per year around the world. Classics such as “Payin’ The Cost To 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. Over the years, the Grammy Award-winner has had two #1 R&B hits, 1951’s “Three O’Clock Blues,” and 1952’s “You Don’t Know Me,” and four #2 R&B hits, 1953’s “Please Love Me,” 1954’s “You Upset Me Baby,” 1960’s “Sweet Sixteen, Part I,” and 1966’s “Don’t Answer The Door, Part I.” B.B.’s most popular crossover hit, 1970’s “The Thrill Is Gone,” went to #15 pop.

Buddy Guy is one of the most acclaimed and influential blues guitarists and singers in music history. A pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, Guy, 74, has inspired some of the greatest rock musicians of the past 50 years, including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Any discussion of Buddy invariably involves a recitation of his colossal musical resume and hard-earned accolades. He’s a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and a living link to Chicago’s halcyon days of electric blues. Buddy has won 6 Grammys, including Best Contemporary Blues Album for Living Proof this year, 23 W.C. Handy Blues Awards (the most any artist has received), the Billboard magazine’s Century Award for distinguished artistic achievement, and the Presidential National Medal of Arts.

BB King and Buddy Guy perform May 31 at 7:30 p.m.  For information visit www.ryman.com