A Bluesman’s Song

They call him “King of the Blues, but to hear B. B. King tell it, he doesn’t live the life of royalty.

“In this business, I’ve never felt like I had it made. It seems I’m never better than my last performance, almost as if I’m auditioning every night,” says King, 64, who is mounting a European and Middle Eastern tour.

Coming from this soft-spoken gentlemen of the 12-bar form, who tours up to 250 days a year, these startling statements sound more like a reality check than a spoiled child’s whinings. “Blues music has not been in the mainstream of music, it’s not economically stable,” says the great singer and guitarist, who headlines a show with Millie Jackson and Bobby “Blue” Bland Sunday at the Universal Amphitheatre in Universal City. “I would have to work a week to earn what my friends in rock or soul would do in a night. I feel I have to work this much in order to survive.”

King says that getting airplay for blues artists is gradually improving. “Listen to your radio and see how many blues records you hear,” suggests the musician whose last hit record was 1969’s “The Thrill Is Gone.” “There aren’t a lot but there are some.

“Rock and rollers have been a big help too. Some of the people have said they started by playing the blues and that opens some doors, and hopefully my association with various groups (like U2, with whom King recorded in 1988, and Bonnie Raitt, who sang background vocals on his latest album) will open a few more doors to B. B. King.”

King feels the timeless quality of blues will, little by little, win more fans. “I believe that blues music, if it’s played well and presented well, would be enjoyed by most people,” he says. “Some people say blues is dated. Well, they play Mozart and Brahms and nobody calls them dated.”