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B.B.
King, the “King of the Blues,” is one of the most prominent
and talented musicians of the twentieth century. He was born Riley B.
King in Itta Bena, Mississippi on September 16, 1925 to sharecropper
parents. His guitar-playing reverend first introduced him to gospel
music as a child. By the early 1950s, King made his first recordings
with Modern Records in Memphis. In the years following, King moved from
the “chitlin circuit” of the south to concert halls, amphitheaters,
and resort hotels around the world with classic performances such as
“Everyday I Have the Blues,” “Why I Sing the Blues,”
as well as his 1966 signature hit, “The Thrill is Gone.” An
inductee to the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame, King is also the recipient of the Presidential Medal of
Arts and the Kennedy Center Honors. His international shows have come
to define the blues for a global audience, and he continues to tour
and influence musicians worldwide. 
Inductee
to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, radio personality, musician, songwriter
and humanitarian, Isaac Hayes has earned his position as a cultural
legend. Bridging generations, Hayes’ has gained notoriety as one
of the musicians that helped to define the “Memphis Sound.”
His career was launched as the composer of the “Shaft” movie
soundtrack, the first album in history by a solo black artist to hit
#1 on the Pop and R&B charts and the first African American Academy
Award winner for best musical score. For years, he has hosted the morning
show on KISS-FM, New York’s top-rated urban radio show; and currently
serves as the voice of “Chef” on cable TV’s Comedy Central
animated program, “South Park.” Born to a sharecropper family
on August 20, 1942, in Covington, Tennessee, Hayes, like B.B. King,
now calls Memphis his home. Through his Isaac Hayes Foundation, Applied
Scholastics’ World Literacy Crusade and other organizations, Hayes
is devoted to promoting literacy and education worldwide. 
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