The Man Who Would Be King

King says he'll be filling his downtime on tour in an unlikely fashion--not with his guitar but with a laptop computer. It's part of a continuing education he's been furthering for a few years. "I only finished the tenth grade," he admits, "and now that I'm older, I'm trying to catch up. The computer keeps me from asking people things I should know. See, kids come up and ask me stuff, and I don't know the answers, and I'm ashamed to tell 'em that. So what I do is go get me some software, put it on my computer, and next time they ask me, I can tell 'em. You know when you meet the Queen of England, the president, the pope and so many people, you hate to not know anything to talk about."

One thing King will not be talking about is retirement, a move he says has been suggested by some and sternly rebuked by him. "When I get to the place where people don't buy my CDs or attend my concerts, then I'll go home. I could have retired many, many years ago, but I love doing what I do."

B.B. King Bluesfest '99, with Kenny Wayne Shepard, Indigenous, Lewis and Floorwax's Groove Hawgs, 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, August 17, Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, $20.50-$35.50, 303-830-8497.