Celebrated Blues pioneer B.B. King passed away last night. He was four months away from his 90th Birthday. (Photo property of Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Multiple news sources such as BBC News, CNN and Time have sadly confirmed that “The Thrill is Gone.”
Iconic Bluesman B.B. King passed away just four months short of his 90th birthday.
Mr. King’s attorney, Brett Bryson, told The Associated Press that King “died peacefully in his sleep at 9:40 p.m. PDT Thursday at his home in Las Vegas.”
Born on September 16, 1925, Riley B. King, was the son of Mississippi farmers and called the Hospitality State for many years.
Raised primarily by his grandmother, Elnora Farr, the future Godfather of Blues fell in love with music by first singing in the Elkhorn Baptist Church and then met the love of his life, when he first picked his first guitar.
Mr. King’s passion for music led him to desire for a career in the music industry. His first gig was an appearance on West Memphis, Arkansas radio station KWEM’s popular radio show. As he slowly developed his craft and gained a following, Mr. King earned a show of his own on the iconic Memphis radio station: WDIA 1070 AM.
While he worked at WDIA, Mr. King first met celebrated electric blues pioneer T-Bone Walker, who inspired him to pick up an electric guitar. Once, he picked up his first in a long line of Gibson ES-355 electric guitars christened “Lucille,” Mr. King was ready for the big time.
Over six decades, Mr. King released 43 studio albums, 16 live albums and a whopping 138 singles! In addition to his recordings, Mr. King was one of the most honored Blues musicians of all-time. He received over 17 Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and awarded both the Kennedy Center Honor by President Clinton and the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush.
However, the biggest legacy that Mr. King leaves behind is not only his music, but also the artists that he inspired. Eric Clapton, ZZ Top, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Sheryl Crow, Diane Schurr, Gladys Knight and John Mayer are among the countless of artists that are a part of his musical legacy.
I would like to leave you with four links to my favorite collaborations that Mr. King did with other artists: “Riding With The King” (with Eric Clapton), “Sinner’s Prayer” (with the late Ray Charles), “Rock This House” (with Sir Elton John) and of course…”The Thrill is Gone” (with Stevie Wonder).
Jake’s Take wants to extend its thoughts and prayers to Mr. King’s friends, family and colleagues.
I do not own any of the clips that are featured in this tribute article. They belong to Mr. King’s respective record labels and The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (“The Thrill is Gone”).
