At the age of 80, B.B. King still keeps a busy touring schedule, but he always enjoys coming home to the Delta.
"Everybody likes to come back where their roots are," he said Friday before taking the stage for his annual blues workshop at Mississippi Valley State University. "It's a good feeling to come back where a lot of people know you for what you are, not just an entertainer."
King was born in 1925 on a cotton plantation outside Itta Bena. He first appeared on the radio in Greenwood as part of a gospel group and later performed many times on radio in Greenwood and Greenville. That first radio performance on WGRM was in the building that now houses the Greenwood Blues Heritage Museum and Gallery.
He didn't intend to be a blues singer then, but he has become an icon in that field. In fact, he and his band recently performed their 10,000th concert.
King has cut back somewhat on his performing because he has a bad knee. But he estimated that he and his band do a little over 100 shows a year - and they're about 90 minutes long, as they have been for years.
The "meet and greet" time can last about 90 minutes, too, but King doesn't mind. He learns how his music affects his audience.
"When you meet and greet people, they give you insights on what you're doing," he said.
