Universally hailed as the reigning king of the blues, the legendary B.B. King is without a doubt the single most important electric guitarist of the last half century. A contemporary blues guitar solo without at least a couple of recognizable King-inspired bent notes is all but unimaginable, and he remains a supremely confident singer capable of wringing every nuance from any lyric. There can be little doubt that B.B. King will reign as the genre's undisputed king (and goodwill ambassador) for as long as he lives.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has released more than 50 albums in his career, the latest one titled "80" to mark his landmark birthday. The collection of duets won a Grammy last year for Best Traditional Blues Album.

In total, King has 15 Grammy statues on his mantel, including a lifetime achievement award. He's also been honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and was recently given an honorary doctor of music degree from Providence, RI's Brown University.

Next summer, King's hometown of Indianola, MS, is scheduled to open a $10 million museum in his honor.