B.B. King Coming Home to Indianola Tonight






















Delta Blues great B.B. King leaning on his world-renown guitar, Lucille.

The legendary B.B. King is coming home to his birthplace, Indianola, Miss., for his annual Homecoming Festival tonight. The King of the Blues will headline tonight's festival, which is to be held at Fletcher Park.

Although King maintains a demanding tour schedule, he still admits that coming home to the Mississippi Delta is still the highlight of his year.

King was actually born in Berclair, just outside of Indianola, where he spent much of his childhood working as a sharecropper. King later moved to Greenwood, where he had his first radio broadcast at the former WGRN radio station.

Three years later, King moved to Memphis, Tenn., where he broadcast his music live on Memphis radio station WDIA. While in Memphis, King began recording with Sam Phillips, who would eventually found the legendary Sun Records.

B.B. King recently won his 14th Grammy at the 2006 Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. His album, B.B. King and Friends - 80 won for "Best Traditional Blues Album" and was his ninth win in that category.

The City of Indianola is in the process of paying tribute to Mr. King with the development of a $10 million museum to be named The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in his honor. All proceeds from tonight's concert will benefit the museum, which is slated to open next year.

Others in tonight's lineup include pianist "Little Boogaloo" Eden Brent, blues guitarist John Horton & the Special Occasion Band featuring Mississippi Slim, and juke influenced Willie King & the Liberators.

Tickets are $5 ahead and $10 at the door. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. For more information, call the Indianola Chamber of Commerce at (662) 887-4454.

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