B.B. King dead at age 89

[Achilleslastand]

'King of the Blues' blues legend B.B. King dead at age 89
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Blues legend B.B. King has died in Las Vegas at age 89, his lawyer says.

Attorney Brent Bryson tells The Associated Press that King died peacefully in his sleep at 9:40 p.m. PDT Thursday at his home in Las Vegas.

The one-time farmhand brought new fans to the blues and influenced a generation of musicians with his heartfelt vocals and soaring guitar on songs such as "The Thrill Is Gone."

King sold millions of records worldwide and was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

King played a Gibson guitar that he affectionately called Lucille and was not only the undisputed king of the blues but a mentor to scores of guitarists including Eric Clapton.

He was awarded his 15th Grammy in 2009 in the traditional blues album category for "One Kind Favor."



The man could do more with 5 or 6 notes than other guitarists using 12, RIP.

[zookeeper]

One of the greats. In his biography, he said he went to sleep every night listening to Frank Sinatra's album, "In The Wee Small Hours", which was one of the very first double-albums ever issued. He claimed to never tire of it and was his comfort music. He called himself a "Sinatra nut." Great biography, too. B.B. King, what a legend.

Blues All Around Me: The Autobiography of B.B. King

[rezman]

I liked listening to B.B. King on satellite radio telling the stories from back in the day, ... Playing the small theaters and juke joints in the 50's and 60's. Very few guitarists ever stirred my soul like B.B King.

Rest In Peace Mr King.

[kelroy55]

The thrill is truly gone.... RIP BB and thanks for all the great music.

[Tritone]

RIP. I'm glad he was able to share stories from the small venues and small times. There is so much history and so many neat stories that never get written down.

[Urbanized]

I was lucky enough to see him live several times. He was just unbelievably good, even in later years where he only had the stamina to play a few featured riffs and then lay back and let his band handle most of any given song.

[Mississippi Blues]

So sad. What a legend and he will be sorely missed. My username doesn't only allude to B.B., but he's certainly the main one. RIP to one of the all-time greats.

[rezman]

The link I posted earlier is saying that the owner has disabled the video ... here's another try.

[kelroy55]

[kelroy55]

[zookeeper]

Thinking about B.B. King and his autobiography (great, great book!) made me wonder about the OKC blues scene. Is there one anymore? There was a place in bricktown, but it's been a couple of years since I checked it out. Anybody know? On topic because B.B. King was worried about the longevity of the blues.

[Prunepicker]

'King of the Blues' blues legend B.B. King dead at age 89
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Blues legend B.B. King has died in Las Vegas at age 89, his lawyer says.

Just saw the news. I got to see him in the early 70's at the Civil Center.

A sad day for me.

[Mel]

His body had done it's job and is still. His soul has gone to join one heck of a band. His spirit will live forever when any guitarists influenced by him hits the stage. From dive bars to the Royal Albert Hall.

[rezman]