Eighty-three-year-old Mississippi native B.B. King, who has defined blues music, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Stephens Auditorium.

King began recording in the 1940s and has since released more than 50 albums. King has gone on to win several awards, including seven Grammys, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He’s also a member of the Blues Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Riley B. King, more commonly known as B.B. King, started playing music in his youth at night clubs. In 1947, he hitchhiked to Memphis, Tenn., to pursue a music career. When he was on radio, King realized he needed a catchy name to go along with his popular radio program. King started out using Beale Street Blues Boy and then Blues Boy King, eventually settling on B.B. King.

The blues legend’s first No. 1 hit was “Three O’Clock Blues.” Other staple songs spanning the next five decades include “Payin’ the Cost to Be the Boss,” “The Thrill Is Gone,” “How Blue Can You Get,” “Every Day I Have The Blues” and “Why I Sing The Blues.”

Tickets are $44.50 to $74.50 and available through Ticketmaster or at the Iowa State Center ticket office, at Stephens Auditorium. Call 515-294-3347 or go to www.center.iastate.edu for more information.