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Blues All Around Me: The Autobiography of B.B. King
by
B.B. King
,
David Ritz
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Community Reviews
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Heartwarming, Inspiring, Deep & Honest! An Insightful, Powerful Read! I Loved It! R.I.H. Mr. B.B. King!
Uma historia que, alem de mostrar a superação e as batalhas vencidas pelo rei do blues, impressiona por exibir sua maior característica: a gentileza! Um cara que apesar de crescer nas situações mais adversas, tanto de pobreza quanto de preconceito pela segregação racial, nunca perdeu a raça, garra e muito menos a sua educação com seus fãs, admiradores e até críticos e "inimigos". Acho que todos tem uma lição a aprender com ele, além da musical!!
This is one man whose music speaks to me like no other. When I found this book, I was so excited to read it. This book reads like B.B.'s own personal diary. So frank and honest. It's like B.B. was sitting there talking to me.
i have loved this man from a very early age. he is an amazing man.
I read a lot of bios and studies of blues and blues musicians. Because so many of these musicians have passed away, it's rare to see an autobiography. Generally, these books fall in the realm of the writer interviewing surviving family and friends of the subject in an attempt to discover the story behind the music or musician.
Blues All Around Me
, then, is kind if a rare treat.
An additional treat is the solid, simple lucidity of B. B. King's writing. I'm sure it helps that his coauthor in this v ...more
An additional treat is the solid, simple lucidity of B. B. King's writing. I'm sure it helps that his coauthor in this v ...more
This one is a rambling autobiography (and a bit on the longish side), written by David Ritz's countless hours of interviews and conversations, and published almost twenty years before King died. King speaks again and again of his faith in God, his respect for the church, his love of the sermons of C.L Franklin (Aretha's father, no less), but even more frequently he speaks of his love of women and his enormous sexual appetite. Over the years he fathered fifteen children from fifteen different wom
...more
David Ritz did an excellent job recording B.B. King's story; for most of Blues All Around Me: The Autobiography of B. B. King, it felt like B. B. was talking to me directly.
B. B.'s voice changed as he went from childhood to struggling young musician, to a more mature man of 70 (his age when telling Ritz his story.)I do not know if that was due to Ritz's skill as a writer or if it was a natural result of B. B. looking back, recalling his past.
James Brown took claim to being "the hardest working ...more
B. B.'s voice changed as he went from childhood to struggling young musician, to a more mature man of 70 (his age when telling Ritz his story.)I do not know if that was due to Ritz's skill as a writer or if it was a natural result of B. B. looking back, recalling his past.
James Brown took claim to being "the hardest working ...more
We read this book in our book club. I enjoyed reading it. The autobiographer conveyed B. B.'s voice so well that at times it felt like B.B. was sitting there telling the story.
BLUES ALL AROUND ME: The Autobiography of B. B. King. (1996). B. B. King & David Ritz. ***.
I have to assume that this book was really written by Ritz, who has an impressive list of autobiographies to his credit. That this was based on a long series of interviews is obvious. It seems as if the stories of blues artists all take the same form: born in the Mississippi Delta, picked cotton as a sharecropper as a youth, heard their first guitar and fell in love with it, and began their career as a ...more
I have to assume that this book was really written by Ritz, who has an impressive list of autobiographies to his credit. That this was based on a long series of interviews is obvious. It seems as if the stories of blues artists all take the same form: born in the Mississippi Delta, picked cotton as a sharecropper as a youth, heard their first guitar and fell in love with it, and began their career as a ...more
I collect biographies and autobiographies of musicians and this is one of my favorites. This frank insight into the life of a musician left me feeling that I had truly got to know this warm, hardworking and talented man, and I liked him.
His insights into some of the great musicians of our age that he collaborated or worked gave interesting insights.
This guitar master is one of my musical influences and I was thrilled get to know him and find out that I liked him.
His insights into some of the great musicians of our age that he collaborated or worked gave interesting insights.
This guitar master is one of my musical influences and I was thrilled get to know him and find out that I liked him.
An extraordinary life told with candour and humility. I loved King's straight talking and his ability to define 'the blues'. B.B King is the ultimate definition of a Bluesman, still hooked on spending over 300 days a year on the road. This book is a slice of history, a little bit rough around the edges but the 100% real deal.
I didn't know much about the man, but I knew his music. I enjoyed the look in to B.B.'s humble beginnings and tenacious drive to succeed. He seemed to be a man of honor and integrity and he also didn't apologize for who he was. A great and easy read and a wonderful look in to the life of a great Blue's legend.
I love the blues. And while BB King is not my favorite bluesman, I love what he's done for the blues during his career. He's a great entertainer. I've seen him live probably 10 times. During his shows--and especially as he's gotten older--he tells stories. These can be entertaining. But there comes a point, at least for me, that I think "Okay, story time is over. Now start playing again." There are even times when I feel uncomfortable when he's telling his stories. I don't want to hear BB tellin
...more
BB is best left to telling stories through Lucille. Surely there were more stories to be told in all of those days on the road that did not have to do with BB's sex life. Seems that was all BB wanted to share with us though. Too bad. Still a fan of his music, though.
an honest trip down the blues highway ... a beautiful, simple, hard-working man
Feels like a conversation with B himself; honest and without embellishment.
I've always been interested in B.B. King and his life. The fact that he wrote his own biography made me want to read the book even more. The story of his life is one of poverty, sadness, and success. His diction is simple, so his personality comes out throughout the book. He also explains the meaning of blues. It's not just about being sad. It's just pouring out your emotion, plain and simple. This is much like the book, where he explains everything in a fundamental and understandable way.
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Not a terrible book, but could have been written in a more entertaining way. It was interesting to learn about B.B.'s ife growing up, but someof the parts of the book were a little slow. It seemed as though there were almost too many names and small events that made the story a litte difficult to follow. Aside from those small issues, the book was a good one to get through.
B.B. King is an incredible musician and showman. This is the story of his life, and as such it is also the story of the blues.
I've seen B.B. King perform several times, and even met him twice. He is truly the king of the blues and an incredible ambassador for it. He's also a very friendly guy.
I've seen B.B. King perform several times, and even met him twice. He is truly the king of the blues and an incredible ambassador for it. He's also a very friendly guy.
A wonderful autobio by BB King. A wonderfully fun read filled with stories from the road, of a wide variety of singers and of his upbringing. A fun read.
This was a very good book. It gave the complete history of B.B King. It was written in a way where I could almost hear B.B. King telling it.
A reasonably enjoyable biog but it disappointed me that he barely acknowledges his children which suggests he's no family man.
These words seem to sum it up, "And every note was the right note, notes falling down like gentle rain."
Sep 11, 2013
Brent
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of music and musicians, as well as those interested in history, the blues, and great Americans
Recommended to Brent by:
Leroy Colins Leon County Public Library
I recall checking this out from the library in Tallahassee and loving it!
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
For an autobiography of a living person it seems fairly honest and open.
Average overview of the musician’s life.
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B. B. King (born Riley B. King) is an American blues guitarist and singer. Widely considered one of the greatest and most respected blues guitarists of all time, and is possibly the most recognizable name in the blues genre.
More about B.B. King...
