B.B. King buys club in Mississippi hometown

Jet, April 21, 2008

Blues legend B.B. King is the new owner of a juke joint in his Mississippi Delta hometown of Indianola.

For the past three decades, Mary Shepard has owned the nightspot Club Ebony, where King has played throughout the years. According to reports, the artists who may have performed there since 1945 include Count Basic, Ray Charles, James Brown and Ike Turner.

Shepard said she sold the club to King because she wanted to relax and spend time with her family.

The new purchase will be the music icon's fourth club. King, a 14-time Grammy Award-winner, already has locations named B.B. King's Blues Club in Memphis, Nashville and Orlando.

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