Prepare your ears for what will surely be one of the best musical performances at The Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater this year when B.B. King takes stage on Friday and Saturday, July 20 and 21.

Riley B. King, better known as B. B. King or "The King of Blues," was born September 16, 1925 in Itta Bena, Mississippi. King began recording in 1949 and signed with West Coast record man Jules Bihari a year later. In the 1950s, King became one of the most important names in R&B music, collecting an impressive list of hits that included songs like “You Know I love You,” “Woke Up This Morning,” “Please Love Me,” “When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer,” “Whole Lotta Love,” “and “Everyday I Have the Blues.”

“We are lucky to have such as phenomenal and celebrated artist at The Fred,” said Lauren Yawn, executive director for the Peachtree City Tourism Association. “B.B. King has traveled all over the world, and it is exciting to know that one of the best and most respected blues musicians of all time will perform in Peachtree City!”

Over 52 years B.B. King has played at least 15,000 performances and won 13 Grammy’s. According to a 2003 listing in Rolling Stone magazine, King is the greatest living guitarist, and ranked third among the “100 greatest guitarists of all time” (behind late Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman).

Opening for King at 8 p.m. is Zydefunk, a local Atlanta band. Led by Charlie Wooton’s bass-driven funk, with hints of Latin, reggae, jazz and blues, ZydeFunk captures their audience the moment they walk on the stage. It’s hard to pigeonhole ZydeFunk into one genre because of the many styles and grooves they bring to the show. Their fans come from all walks of life and musical preferences.

Tickets for this event are $48 for reserved seats and $32 for lawn seats and can be purchased at the amphitheater box office through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. or through Ticketmaster. For more information, please visit www.amphitheater.org or call 770-631-0630.

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