I’ve said many times over the years what I love about Memphis is the music and music scene. Memphis music changed the world. And it wasn’t just Elvis.
When I came here for a job interview, as I came out of the Commercial Appeal building at 495 Union Ave. a short walk from historic Beale Street, I could hear the blues music wafting through the air. I was already a blues fan.
That was enough for me. I was sold that this was the place I wanted to be.
My instincts were good. I’ve had so many wonderful experiences covering the Memphis Music scene. Being a photojournalist in Memphis has been an amazing experience. I left the newspaper over ten years ago, but I still continue to cover and enjoy the music scene here.
One of my favorite subjects was the great blues entertainer B.B. King, who would have been 100 years old September 16th, 2025.
B.B. King was so personable, so warm and kind. I loved to watch him perform and work the audience. B.B.’s life was on the road; his people were everywhere. He knew people all over the world.
B.B. grew up in the Mississippi Delta, finding his way alone as a young man with little family support. He eventually moved to Memphis where he found success. I’d recommend reading a fascinating biography about B.B. King, “King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King” written in recent years by one of my favorite authors, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Daniel deVise. B.B.’s life is fascinating.
You can also learn more about B.B. King at his museum in Indianola, Mississippi, at https://bbkingmuseum.org/. I feel honored that a few of my photos are in his museum.
One of the things that stood out to me about B.B. was his gratitude for the life he was given. He was so thankful that he was allowed to follow his dreams and play music for a living.
As King’s 100th birthday crept up, I thought about an interview I had taped with B.B. on his bus around 2010. I interviewed him for a project I was doing at the time, “What is the Blues and Who gets to do it?” Only a tiny portion of the audio interview was published. So I decided this would be a nice time to share some of my B.B. King photo archive and that audio interview.
HERE IS THE LINK TO MY INTERVIEW WITH B.B. KING ON HIS BUS JUST OFF BEALE STREET IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE 2010.
Karen Pulfer Focht is a freelance photojournalist. She has won numerous awards in her career, many for in-depth projects about children and families in Memphis. Her work is regularly published in newspapers and magazines around the world.
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