B.B. King - The Life of Riley

EMPEROR MEDIA is pleased to announce the release of the much-lauded film on the extraordinary life of Blues legend BB KING !

This powerful, insightful and heart-warming film about legendary Blues man BB King is being directed and produced by Jon Brewer. Brewer has been working closely with this gregarious and charming musician for the past 2 years, and has been given extraordinary access to his friends, family and colleagues. This is a no holds barred, powerful documentary feature that explores how a black cotton picker from Mississippi turned his life around, battled against all the odds and unrelenting racism to overcome even the toughest critics in the entertainment industry and become ‘KING OF THE BLUES’, performing over 15,000 gigs and selling in excess of 40 million records worldwide to date. One particularly poignant scene shows BB King jamming at the Whitehouse with Barack Obama ‘ this is much more than a music documentary. It is this essence of BB’s story; highlighted by rare archive photos and footage, along with personal interviews, that make this a beautiful, informative and visually captivating feature documentary, all bound together by BB’s trademark sound.

At 87 years old BB King continues to tour extensively, last playing the UK at The Royal Albert Hall in 2011, joined onstage by Slash, Ronnie Wood, Mick Hucknall, Susan Tedeshi and Derek Trucks in a concert for DVD also directed by Brewer.

The film is narrated by Morgan Freeman and featuring contributions from, amongst others Eric Clapton, Bono, Ringo Starr, Carlos Santana, Bill Wyman, Slash, Bonnie Raitt, Peter Green, Buddy Guy, Ronnie Wood, Bruce Willis and many more.

bb-king-eric-clapton-jack-bruce

To tie in to the film release Universal Music will be releasing an Original Soundtrack, ‘BB King: The Life Of Riley’ OST, with songs from the film, on the 22nd October 2012. This will be preceded on the 24th September 2012 with a lavish 10 CD, 194 track box set collection chronicling his entire career from his first recordings in 1949 through to his most recent studio album. Entitled ‘Ladies And Gentlemen.Mr. BB King’, the box set celebrates his 50th Anniversary signing to ABC-Paramount Records in 1962 through a multi-format career retrospective.

Prior to a DVD release later in 2012, ‘BB King: Life Of Riley’ will be showing across across the UK on the 15th October 2012. So far no info yet about the rest of the world. Still waiting on distribution possibilities for other countries.

‘BB King: The Life of Riley’ ‘ Contributors
Aaron Neville Allan Hammons
Annie Clay B.B. King
Bernard Purdie Bill Cosby
Bill Szymczyk Bill Wyman
Billy Boy Arnold Bobby Bland
Bono Bonnie Raitt
Bruce Willis Buddy Guy
Calvin Owens Carlos Santana
Carver Randle Cato Walker
Charles Evers Charles Sawyer
Clemmie Truevellian Derek Trucks
Delcia Davis Doyle Bramhall
Dr. John Eric Clapton
Ernest Withers Ford Nelson
George Benson James Toney
Jessie May Golden Joe Bihari
Joe Bonamassa Joe Walsh
John Cadillac Holden John Fair
John Mayer John Mayall
Johnny Winter Jonny Lang
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Lessie May Fair
LaVerne Toney Leon Russell
Mick Hucknall Mick Taylor
Morgan Freeman Paul Rodgers
Peter Green Polly Walker
Rev. David Matthews Ringo Starr
Robert Cray Robert Lockwood
Ronnie Wood Sara Betty Lou Henson
Slash Stewart Levine
Sue King Evans Susan Tedeschi
Tina France Walter Trout
Wayne Cartledge


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