B.B. King – Coming To Branson

November 16, 2005

The most famous blues singer/guitarist in the world today is coming to Branson in February 2006. Welk-Sullivan Productions announced today that B.B. King, The King of the Blues, will perform on Saturday, February 18th at 8 p.m. and Sunday February 19th at 3 p.m. at the Welk Resort Theatre in Branson.

For more than half a century, B.B. King has defined the blues for a worldwide audience. The winner of 13 Grammy Awards and 22 W.C. Handy (Blues Foundation) Awards has released over 50 albums including four Gold albums, two Platinum albums and one Multi-Platinum album. His R&B Chart-topping hits include “Three O’Clock Blues,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Please Love Me,” “You Upset Me Baby,” “Sweet Sixteen, Part I,” and “Don’t Answer The Door, Part I.” His most popular crossover hit, “The Thrill Is Gone,” reached #15 on the Top-40 Chart in 1970.

Tickets for the two B.B. King concerts in February 2006 go on sale Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2005. Tickets may be purchased at the Welk Resort Theatre Box Office, by phone at (800)-734-5515 or (417)-337-7469, on the internet at www.sullivanshows.com or at select Branson area ticket outlets. Ticket prices including all taxes range from $69.50 (Gold Seating) to $59.50 (Silver) and $39.50 (Bronze).

B.B. mixes traditional blues, jazz, swing, mainstream pop and jump into his own unique sound. Over the years, B.B. has developed one of the world’s most identifiable guitar styles featuring delicate single string runs punctuated by loud chords, subtle vibratos and “bent” notes. The technique of rock guitar playing is – to a large degree – derived from B.B.’s playing.

B.B. has been inducted into Halls of Fame (Blues Foundation, Rock & Roll, Performance Magazine and N.A.A.C.P. Image Awards); received numerous Lifetime Achievement Awards (Grammy Awards, Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, Orville H. Gibson/Gibson Guitar, Blues Foundation, MOBO Awards {London} and Congress of Racial Equality {CORE)}; and is featured on several Walks of Fame (Rock Walk, Amsterdam {Holland} Walk of Fame and Hollywood Walk of Fame). He has many film and TV appearances to his credit along with radio and TV commercials, soundtrack albums and even an MTV Video Music Award for “Best Video From a Film” in 1988/89.

This year B.B. King has released two CDs. “B.B. King Ultimate Collection” in March with 21 of B.B.’s legendary hits and signature songs between 1951 and 2000. In September, he released “80” which brings B.B. King together with Eric Clapton, Elton John and others for new duets in an album of blues standards to celebrate B.B.’s 80th birthday. With his many honors, extensive tour schedule and recently released albums, B.B. King is more popular, more cherished and more relevant than ever to the audiences he entertains night-after-night, around the world.

The Welk Resort and Theatre are located 3 miles south of Highway 76 on State Highway 165. The destination resort complex opened in 1994 and includes a 160-room hotel, the Stage Door Restaurant & Lounge, a miniature golf course, swimming pool, game room and other amenities. The 2,245-seat theatre near Table Rock Lake has been home to The Lawrence Welk Show since 1994. A new alliance announced in October 2003 united the Welk Resort Group and SullivanShows in a venture designed to bring a vast array of new shows to Branson. Welk-Sullivan Productions has operated, managed and marketed the Welk Resort Theatre in Branson since January 1, 2004.