7 The 100 Most Influential Musicians of All Time 7

fixture on the Billboard charts through the mid-1980s. His
strongest studio albums of this era were those that most
closely tried to emulate the live experience, and he found
commercial success through a series of all-star collaborations.
On Deuces Wild (1997), King enlisted such artists as Van
Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, and Eric Clapton to create a
fusion of blues, pop, and country that dominated the blues
charts for almost two years. Clapton and King collaborated
on the more straightforward blues album Riding with the
King (2000), which featured a collection of standards from
King’s catalog. He recaptured the pop magic of Deuces
Wild with 80 (2005), a celebration of his 80th birthday
that featured Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, and a standout
performance by Elton John. King returned to his roots
with One Kind Favor (2008), a collection of songs from the
1940s and ’50s including blues classics by the likes of John
Lee Hooker and Lonnie Johnson. Joining King in the simple
four-part arrangements on the T-Bone Burnett–produced
album were stalwart New Orleans pianist Dr. John, ace
session drummer Jim Keltner, and stand-up bassist Nathan
East. The album earned King his 15th Grammy Award.
In 2008 the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive
Center opened in Indianola, with exhibits dedicated to
King’s music, his influences, and the history of the delta
region. King’s autobiography, Blues All Around Me, written
with David Ritz, was published in 1996.

Miles Davis

(b. May 26, 1926, Alton, Ill., U.S.—d. Sept. 28, 1991, Santa Monica, Calif.)

A

merican jazz musician Miles Dewey Davis III—or
simply, Miles Davis—was a great trumpeter who as a
bandleader and composer was one of the major influences
on the art from the late 1940s.