As one of the most talked-about figures, B.B. King has built a significant fortune. Our team analyzed the latest data to provide a clear picture of their income.

What was B.B. King's net worth?

B.B. King was an American blues musician, singer, guitarist, and songwriter who had a net worth of $10 million. B.B. King died in Las Vegas on May 14, 2015. He was 89. King was born on a cotton plantation and sang in his church gospel choir as a kid. He got his first guitar at 12 years old. Working as a disc jockey and singer, he got the nickname Beale Street Blues Boy. That nickname was shortened to Blues Boy and finally to just "B.B."

He started recording songs in 1949 and then assembled his band, the B.B. King Review. In 1970, he won a Grammy for "The Thrill is Gone". B.B. King's Blues Club opened in 1991 in Memphis and a second location launched in Los Angeles in 1994. Since then, clubs have opened in New York, Connecticut, Tennessee, Florida, and Nevada. King was ranked by Rolling Stone as the sixth greatest guitarist of all time in 2011. In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Until he got into his seventies, he was known to perform as many as 300 concerts a year. He released over 40 studio albums and won 15 Grammy Awards as well as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Early Life

King was born Riley B. King on September 16, 1925, on a cotton plantation close to the town of Itta Bena, Mississippi. His parents, Albert and Nora Ella King, were sharecroppers. When he was four, his mother left the family and so King was primarily raised by his grandmother in Kilmichael, Mississippi.

King was primarily first exposed to music by attending church. He sang in the gospel choir at the local Baptist church and was also interested in the music services at the Pentecostal church, as the minister there performed on a guitar during the services and later taught King how to play a few chords. King began playing the guitar, aided in part by Bukka White, his mother's cousin, who went on to become a famous blues guitarist and singer. After working as a tractor driver for a while, King decided to follow Bukka White to Memphis, where he eventually began to perform on the Sonny Boy Williamson's radio program. King's spot on the radio show became very popular and was where he first began developing a following.

(Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)

Musical Career

In summary, the total wealth of B.B. King reflects strategic moves.

Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.