RIP BB King

[Bruce K]

Nothing more to say

BK

[8aaron8]

A few years ago he came to the city I was living in and I remember being bummed when I couldn't get tickets because I knew that was probably going to be my only and last chance to see him perform. RIP

[texbike]

A few years ago he came to the city I was living in and I remember being bummed when I couldn't get tickets because I knew that was probably going to be my only and last chance to see him perform. RIP

He's been on my list of iconic musicians to see for at least 15 years and I somehow never managed to see one of his shows. :(

RIP BB. Thanks for all of the great music. I'm sure Lucille will be lonely without you.

Texbike

[cderalow]

I saw him when I was in London... 4 years ago.

He was an outstanding contributor to music for many decades and will definitely be missed.

That sort of contribution to many artists just doesn't exist with the modern pop era..

[witcombusa]

The thrill is gone...

[mnoble485]

I first saw him play over 20 years ago and have seen him play many times since. He had such a pure sound that was instantly recognized.

RIP. Your music will live on.

Mike

[Lewis Moon]

A colleague of mine used to be a bouncer at a music club. BB played at the club sometime in the mid 80s and Skip, being the talkative guy he is, started up a conversation, rambling from the weather to the fact that he was going to go back to college next semester. Skip was still working part time the next year when BB swung back around. The first thing BB asked Skip was how he was doing in college, what his major was and if he was keeping up his grades.

So much more than incredible music.

[Cornfed]

Saw him many times in Chicago. Always brought his A game -- both musically and with his personality -- no matter the venue or the size of the crowd. A gentleman and a pro.

[Hepmike]

My brother was on a photo assignment to shoot him some 20+ years ago and I had the opportunity to assist and spent the better part of an afternoon with him. A very gracious, sweet, genuine man.

If you play guitar and have not taken the time to study "Live at the Regal", there is a giant gap in your knowledge/vocabulary.

[enr1co]

RIP Mr BB King.

Only had the fortune to see you perform once and was mesmorized (as other millons) how you made Lucille sing.

[wpod]

RIP BB King, both a legend and icon.

[OtayBW]

So long, BB. Ya done good.

[Bob Ross]

I worked for B.B. one night in the late 80s, when he was recording at MediaSound Studio on West 57th St in NYC. He apparently found the studio a bit too austere and wanted to somehow recreate a noisy gritty nightclub atmosphere, so I was hired to bring in a big PA system so he could perform to an invited audience in the studio. Didn't have a lot of interaction with him but from what little I did I could tell he was a really sweet guy, incredibly generous and professional.

My favorite memory of B.B. though is from reading about him when I was 8 or 9 years old, before I'd even heard any of his music. As I wrote on my Facebook page this morning

I'd come across a description in Lillian Roxon's Rock Encyclopedia where she talks about a gig in the late 60s featuring Eric Clapton, Elvin Bishop, & King sharing the stage for a blues jam. Clapton & Bishop are at the height of their psychedelic-blues-rock popularity and are dressed accordingly, and they preen/strut/wail under the spotlights & strobes. And then... “Well, for a start, old B. doesn’t even stand up. He doesn’t have to. He just sits back in his chair, still relaxin’, smilin’ a little and smokin’ his Tiparillo, and suddenly he lets go a little pure and ever-so-simple soul. Like he’s been doin’ this for a long time. No fancy playing now, just a couple of strokes, and – well, the whole room is wiped out.”

[R3awak3n]

One of the greats, he will be missed.

[witcombusa]

I wonder what will become of Lucille :confused:

If she was to be auctioned off, what might it bring?

Has to be in the top 5 most known/recognized guitars ever.

[Lewis Moon]

I wonder what will become of Lucille :confused:

If she was to be auctioned off, what might it bring?

Has to be in the top 5 most known/recognized guitars ever.

Lucille(s). There were many. Several were stolen. Lucille was more a relationship than an instrument.

[Cornfed]

I wonder what will become of Lucille :confused:

If she was to be auctioned off, what might it bring?

Has to be in the top 5 most known/recognized guitars ever.

She's an orphan now.

There have been and are a number of Lucilles. Still, you are correct, any BB-owned Lucille is worth quite a bit.

The story behind the name is pretty interesting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucille_%28guitar%29

[enr1co]

I wonder what will become of Lucille :confused:

If she was to be auctioned off, what might it bring?

Has to be in the top 5 most known/recognized guitars ever.

There are a few Lucilles, nonetheless any guitar will be collectible if played B.B.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/the-legacy-of-lucille-the-surprising-story-behind-b-b-kings-guitar-20150515

[purplecu22]

The real 3 kings, Albert king, Freddie King, and BB king. These three men shape my music life.

[FlashUNC]

I was always more a John Lee Hooker fan myself, but you cannot ignore the impact and talent BB had. Truly one of the greats.

[tv_vt]

RIP Mr King. You were 'the blues' to so many people.

Can't believe how much he loved to tour. Can you imagine workin' like he did right up to the end at age 89? Man never stopped doin' what he loved.

[drewski]

I was struck by the fact that he supported 11 children. No hell hound on his trail. What a giant void he leaves.
Lots of bill collectors. RIP b.b.

[Ray]

I saw him for the first time in '77, in a blues club in Seattle. A handful of friends and I were the only white faces in that place. He was huge then and looked old as hell to me, but I guess he was younger than I am now. I saw him several times after, once with Bobby "Blue" Bland, and he was a monster.

His sets were note for note and joke for joke identical so not a lot of point in going to both the early and late shows or back to back nights, but his vibrato was so incredibly sweet and pure, it almost didn't matter. A lot of guys could play fast, but he could do more with one note than any other blues guitarist I ever heard, just with the strength of his vibrato. He could play fast too, but that kind of missed the point.

I hadn't seen him in the past 20 years or so and whenever he'd come around, I'd mean to get it together and go see him, thinking "I'm not gonna have too many more chances" and I guess it'll never happen now. But the music lives on.

He's gone, but as long as his music is around, the thrill is NOT gone!

-Ray

[Keith A]

Just heard a piece on NPR about how Lucille got her name...pretty interesting. BB King will certainly be missed, but his music and influence will live on.

[thunderworks]

I had the good fortune of seeing him perform 3 or 4 times . . . the first in 1968 when I was a college freshman . . . the last time only 3 years ago. I've probably spent more hours listening to his music than any other single musician. His guitar was perfect. His voice was perfect.

[rounder]

A friend of mine who liked BB King had a friend who played in a band teach us basic 12 bar blues theory. Later that year, I think it was around 1970, we went to the Atlanta festival. BB King played and sounded great. He seemed like a humble guy who liked what he did. The Allman Brothers were the local band and also played great. RIP.

[fuzzalow]

"Live at The Regal" is one of the greatest live blues records ever made. B.B. in his youth, his prime and fully in command of the crowd and Lucille. Back then, B.B. would let 'er rip on Lucille a little bit more than the reserve he displayed in his later years. Even in full flight with Lucille though there was always a guitar player in absolute control, there was never the tease of comin' off the rails with anything about B.B.'s playing. That was never in the plan. B.B. was always gracious to his audience, that they had come out, spent their hard-earned money to see a show. And B.B. was a consummate showman.

Thinkin' about how much the three King's, B.B., Albert and Freddie, influenced the wave of blues players that followed, especially Eric Clapton. I like Eric's playing too and I usually hear phrases that show how he was taken by their styles as much as sometimes an outright lift of a riff or a run. Everybody does it. I hear Eric channeling B.B. more in his slower, more melodic guitar work/solos. When Eric rips I hear much more Freddie and some Albert. Makes sense in that the entirety of the Beano album with Mayal was Eric's mastery & homage of Freddie's phrasing, energy and drive.

RIP Blues Boy. What an imprint you have made. The butterfly vibrato is heard echoing across the heavens.

[Matthew]

Saw him a handful of years ago here in Muskegon at an outdoor venue. I am not much of a Blues fan but B.B. was great to see live. He was in his eighties and sat on a stool for most of the show but I came away respecting him tremendously that night. Great guitarist and entertainer. Seemed incredibly humble and genuine. Quite funny too with the stories he told that night. Obviously a music legend who will be sorely missed, yet will live on forever. RIP B.B.

[bironi]

Listen here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOUSwZSHo1I

[Johnnyg]

Saw BB in a small club in Boston and Reggie Jackson was in the audience. Love you BB.

[noshaver]

I heard Lucille is going off to the R&R hall of Fame. Saw BB many times live. As the years went on he talked more than he played (a lot more) but a true artist who knew how to stay relevant, sort of like Eric Clapton who seems to be able to reinvent himself every five years. Clapton's best years ended after Derek and the Dominoes, and maybe his first solo album. His early work was notable.

[wc1934]

Only got to see him one time but it was a memorable one for me - he played at Tanglewood accompanied by the Joshua lightshow from the Fillmore east - then came the Who and finally the Jefferson Airplane. Great nite of music etc.

[wc1934]

a sad event made even sadder - poisoned?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/25/bb-king-poisoned_n_7437922.html

[JAllen]

Man... it's the end of an era. RIP BB King, thank you for decades of great music and helping to define one of the world's most important genres of music.