B.B. King

The renowned bluesman, who died in 2015, spoke to Fresh Air in 1996 about growing up as the son of a sharecropper — and leaving the plantation as a young man to pursue a career in music.

He's known as the King of the Blues. King was born on a cotton plantation in Mississippi before moving to Memphis where he began his career. Since then, among numerous other awards, he's received seven Grammies, an MTV award, and a Presidential Medal of the Arts. He is also a member of the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame. In his biography, entitled "Blues All Around Me" he recounts his life from his early days in Mississippi, to breaking into the music business in Memphis, to his career today. He has over 74 albums to his credit.