BB King. Lucile falls silent . . .

[Bogtrotter07]

The man is a special gift.

He will be with us always.

He was not just a master;

He influenced everyone I enjoy listening to.

Blues legend B.B. King dies at age 89 in Las Vegas

By Todd Leopold, CNN
(CNN)—Riley B. King, the legendary guitarist known as B.B. King, whose velvety voice and staccato-picking style brought blues from the margins to the mainstream, died Thursday night.

He was 89.

His daughter, Patty King, said he died in Las Vegas, where he announced two weeks ago that he was in home hospice care after suffering from dehydration.

King of the blues

The Mississippi native's reign as "king of the blues" lasted more than six decades and straddled two centuries, influencing a generation of rock and blues musicians, from Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, to Sheryl Crow and John Mayer.

Blues legend B.B. King dies at age 89 in Las Vegas - CNN.com

 

[NDohio]

RIP

What an amazing talent.

I had to travel through his hometown out in the MS Delta many years ago. Seeing the life that is lived out there gives definition to his music. Those people live the blues.

 

[Irish YJ]

 

[woolybug25]

I got the great pleasure of being at BB King's Blues Club on Beale St in Memphis, on a night he surprised the patrons by showing up and playing a set with that night's act. He was known to regularly pop into his establishments and surprise people like that.

We truly lost a great. RIP

 

[Irish#1]

Everyone's time eventually comes. Fortunately, his was a long and prosperous one letting him influence music and musicians alike.

 

[Irish YJ]

I got the great pleasure of being at BB King's Blues Club on Beale St in Memphis, on a night he surprised the patrons by showing up and playing a set with that night's act. He was known to regularly pop into his establishments and surprise people like that.

We truly lost a great. RIP

Truly jealous Wooly. Was down on Beale last fall sitting in his place. Sat there the whole time praying for a drop in.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

RIP

 

[GowerND11]

There are not many left who play in the pure way that B.B. did

-Eric Clapton

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[Irish#1]

Truly jealous Wooly. Was down on Beale last fall sitting in his place. Sat there the whole time praying for a drop in.

Were you there on a weekend when they close off the street and have big block party? Wife and I did that back in 2004. She got pretty loopy that night. lol

 

[ACamp1900]

Not the way I wanted to wake up... I knew he was in hospice but this one hurts. Thanks for keeping Americas great music alive BB, You will be missed,

 

[Southside Sully]

Crazy that he never knew how to play chords either.. he was awesome.. One of the last of a dying breed unfortunately.

 

[woolybug25]

Crazy that he never knew how to play chords either.. he was awesome.. One of the last of a dying breed unfortunately.

He knew chords, but just wasn't good at them. Here's a really good interview where he talks about it. At 1:18, BB tells Bono, he "is no good with chords" - BB then confesses "I am horrible with chords."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRHV-HWhqWQ

Don't mistake that with BB King not being a genius at music theory. Chords are all about the rythm guitars. Which BB King doesn't play, he plays lead guitar and has a full band behind him for the rhythm (ie chord progressions). He always geared himself to be a front man, and that is why he never really had to play chords. That being said, his style is quite sophisticated. He is one of the best guitarist of our lifetimes, imo.

*Sorry about not embedding the youtube, work cpu wont let me go to the youtube site, so I can only grab the link. If someone can embed it, I will make reps rain all over you.

 

[Bubbles]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZRHV-HWhqWQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Southside Sully]

He knew chords, but just wasn't good at them. Here's a really good interview where he talks about it. At 1:18, BB tells Bono, he "is no good with chords" - BB then confesses "I am horrible with chords."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRHV-HWhqWQ

Don't mistake that with BB King not being a genius at music theory. Chords are all about the rythm guitars. Which BB King doesn't play, he plays lead guitar and has a full band behind him for the rhythm (ie chord progressions). He always geared himself to be a front man, and that is why he never really had to play chords. That being said, his style is quite sophisticated. He is one of the best guitarist of our lifetimes, imo.

*Sorry about not embedding the youtube, work cpu wont let me go to the youtube site, so I can only grab the link. If someone can embed it, I will make reps rain all over you.

I loved Rattle and Hum.. That was my mistake, i was remembering that interview and always thought it was he didn't play.. He absolutely was a stud.. I have played guitar for 18 years, and his style of guitar is a lifetime to master. The slow hand blues is so emotional and sounds so simple, but it is quite intricate.

 

[dshans]

With no intention to diminish or demean (since it's all a continuum) I'll go with a Lovin' Spoonful lyric:

"The magic's in the music and the music's in me."

Thank you, B.B., for all the joy and love you've sent my way. I feel fortunate that with today's technology I can revisit your genius damn near any time I choose.

 

[ohara831]

RIP Mr. King. You will always be one of the greats. We lost a true legend.

 

[A Pac]

I don't care what anyone says. He's the greatest of all time. King. Clapton. Hendrix. In that order.

 

[Circa]

-Eric Clapton

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Come on man. got to Respect the

 

[AvesEvo]

What a shame. I was lucky enough to see him play about 5 years ago. RIP.

 

[dshans]

He went down to the crossroads.

He refused to sell his soul to the devil but chose to be touched by an angel ...

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I saw BB (and Muddy Waters) with Clapton. If I could think more of Clapton it would be for promoting his heroes, and elevating those around him.

With that said, every blues man I have ever seen from Honeyboy Edwards to Johnny Lee Hooker, but especially BB, was gracious, conciliatory, and an open soul, willing to share their love with anyone that would hear.

After growing up in a life of living the blues, the kind of ascendance that these kings lived was truly an awesome demonstration of a life well lived . . .

I am honored to have experienced a bit of it.

 

[Bishop2b5]

I was lucky enough to see a few of the old blues legends. Got to see Clapton & Muddy from the front row and leaning on the stage my freshman year of college. Unfortunately I never got to see BB, but he was one of my guitar heroes. The man lived an amazing life and had such an influence on our music.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I was lucky enough to see a few of the old blues legends. Got to see Clapton & Muddy from the front row and leaning on the stage my freshman year of college. Unfortunately I never got to see BB, but he was one of my guitar heroes. The man lived an amazing life and had such an influence on our music.

Clapton and Muddy Waters; '79?

When I said that I saw Clapton with Waters and King it was on two seperate occasions. Clapton with Waters, then Clapton with King. And then years later . . .

After all Malvern Gasperone put together a pretty good band with those Gator Boys!

 

[Bishop2b5]

Clapton and Muddy Waters; '79?

When I said that I saw Clapton with Waters and King it was on two seperate occasions. Clapton with Waters, then Clapton with King. And then years later . . .

After all Malvern Gasperone put together a pretty good band with those Gator Boys!

Yep, April of '79 at Coleman Coliseum on Bama's Campus. I won the tickets in a record store contest and my best friend & I showed up hours early to be the first people through the doors when they opened. Got to stand in the center of the front row leaning on the edge of the stage. Five feet from Eric & Muddy... righteous stuff.

Ahh, Mr. Gasperone & Co. Heck of a band. How blue can you get, indeed!

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Yep, April of '79 at Coleman Coliseum on Bama's Campus. I won the tickets in a record store contest and my best friend & I showed up hours early to be the first people through the doors when they opened. Got to stand in the center of the front row leaning on the edge of the stage. Five feet from Eric & Muddy... righteous stuff.

Ahh, Mr. Gasperone & Co. Heck of a band. How blue can you get, indeed!

I was on leave and back home, last concert I remember in the forgettable Toledo Sports Arena, (neat history, crappy facility for a concert) and a bunch of blue collar white long haired stoners who were looking forward to EC saw this old black man shuffle on stage, with a harmonica harness and a gi-tar. They didn't know what to expect. The show started in deafening silence. By the end of Muddy's second song everyone was standing in their seats, dancing. It was deafeningly loud when he finished. Clapton liked the tude of the crowd so well he did three encores, including one with Muddy.

Mine was about six-weeks later in June.

My experience with Eric and BB was very similar.