BB King, at 89

The pioneering blues singer and guitarist B. B. King, who won over a dozen Grammy Awards and is perhaps best known for the song “The Thrill Is Gone,” died on Thursday in Las Vegas. He was 89.

Mr. King was born in 1925, the son of sharecroppers in Mississippi. He had a career that began in the 1940s, kicked into high gear in the last years of the 1960s, and continued full-throttle until last fall, when he canceled a tour citing poor health.

The British singer-songwriter and guitarist Eric Clapton, who drew inspiration from Mr. King as a young musician and collaborated with him on the 2000 album “Riding With the King,” shared a tribute to Mr. King on his Facebook page.

On BB King's passing .. Norman Wilde at Soulville really hipped me to BB King. Remembering: at Soulville you could get a free 45 if you bought an LP. I'd get the Blues Project, or the Dirty Blues Band...he would slip in "Dont Answer the Door," "(I'm Going to Move to) The Outskirts of Town". Led me to buy other 45s outright "Sweet 16" and then one that hit on WLS: "Paying the Cost to be Boss". Pretty early I saw the guitar roots of Michael Bloomfield. BB on ABC. I would go back home and pretend I was BB (me 'playing' a tennis racket'). There is a lot of rumination on trust and lack thereof in his songs. Funny to say but for 17-year-old Jack it had a very high resonance. Sweet 16 is my favorite throughout many version. I knew his days were diminishing, obviously. I feel an essential era of blues ends his death. There was a triumvirate-plus - twas him, Muddy Water, Howlin Wolf, and I guess I might add John Lee Hooker. Was fortunate to see all but Wolf (which Cecelia did see) (and I did see Wolf's boot) Saw BB in the 80s with Rich Mack at the Channel. In the 00s with Mark Schlack (BB jammed with Jeff Beck) at Great Woods. At theFleet Pavillion with Jake in the 00s too (out of work and won the tickets – that's a blue tale! W Bloomfield's old bud Elvin Bishop on bill).When people pass I look at the blank card and only one thing comes to mind: 'There must be a better world somewhere.' It's a Doc Pomus song, and BB sang it. BB King must be there. Ride on Riley. (The picture here is "Live at Cook County Jail" which Mike Brusha had in his collection. Also - I was lucky I got to hang out a bit with Ron Levy, great Boston blue piano player who appeared on that LP) - Jack "It' all history to me" Vaughan

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