William R. Ferris (American, b. 1942)
B.B. King, Lucifer’s Club, Boston, 1976
Gelatin silver print
9 x 13 in.
Gift of William Ferris, Joel Williamson Eminent Professor of History, UNC-Chapel Hill, Davidson College Class of 1964
As soon as the list of artworks available for ArtMate was sent out, I began my hunt for the perfect piece. I made notes of about four potential artworks that I wanted in my room. It wasn’t until the day of ArtMate that I felt entirely confident in my choice. Seeing B.B. King, Lucifer’s Club, Boston, in person confirmed my suspicions—this piece would fit perfectly in the little blank space I left on my wall amidst all of my posters. This was a risky decision since I did not know the measurements of either the work or the space on my wall, but thankfully, it did.
The photograph is not large, measuring only 9 x 13 inches, but the presence of the musicians on stage supersedes the work’s borders. B. B. King is referred to as “the King of the Blues” with a career as a musician lasting over seventy years. King was born in Bear Creek, Mississippi, as Riley B. King on September 16, 1925. The Mississippi Delta is recognized as the birthplace of blues music; King is a representative of this. He grew up with his maternal grandmother and worked in cotton fields. His rough formative years layer his music with authentic emotional struggle, a key element of blues music.
King is presumably the figure that stands beneath the spotlight at the very front of the stage. He is dressed in a light colored suit (possibly white) and has his precious guitar, Lucille, strapped to him. The four other men in the photograph are dressed uniformly in checkered blazers and light-colored pants. Ferris managed to capture King’s powerful presence in two ways: the angle and the moment. We can tell that Ferris is standing somewhere backstage or right behind the group; King’s back is to the viewer. King is beyond Ferris, the band, and the viewers. While King is technically in the middle ground of this photo, he is at the front and center of the performance. He sharply contrasts with the crowd; his light bleeds onto the other men, letting them shine. The spotlight truly helps King present as a bright, pioneering force (the great amount of space above his head further humanizes him; it reminds us that while he is being greatly revered in this moment, he is still equal to the rest of the people in that room). I would like to imagine that any young musician today would look at this photograph and feel as though they are staring at the back of an honorable leader.
This photograph of King is part of a collection of Ferris’s photographs that document blues musicians. Ferris photographed King at his 1975 performance with singer Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland at the Memphis Blues Festival and his 1976 performance at Lucifer’s Club in Boston, Massachusetts.
– Barbara Lopez ‘28
“William R. Ferris is an American author and scholar born in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Ferris’ work focused on southern African American folklore and culture. He earned his BA in English Literature from Davidson College in 1964, his MA in English Literature from Northwestern University in 1965, and a PhD in Folklore from the University of Pennsylvania in 1969. He was selected by President Bill Clinton to be the Chair of the National Endowment of the Humanities, a position which he held from 1997 to 2001. Ferris has written fiction, poetry, as well as book, record, and film reviews. He has recorded blues albums and produced 15 documentary films on southern folklore.”