Blue Indy

May 15th, 2015 at 7:49 AM ^

Saw him first at the State Theater in Kzoo, then many many times thereafter. One of my favorites was at the Hill in A2 while in school. So many great memories... RIP, blues boy.

Joined: 08/25/2010

MGoPoints: 3262

LDNfan

May 15th, 2015 at 8:19 AM ^

Man...sad day the King will be missed.

This news although expected (he'd been in hospice for the past couple of weeks) gives me the blues...

RIP BB..

 

Joined: 09/28/2014

MGoPoints: 10397

Prince Lover

May 15th, 2015 at 8:59 AM ^

My favorite BB story.... I was working at Joe's Chick-n-ribs, now currently Quickie Burger. I big bus drove up on State St. And a young man came in and order a whole mess of food. He said it was for BB who was playing up at the Hill that night. We laughed and said sure, and gave him his food. Half hour later he comes in again and orders the exact same amount. Still we thought nothing off it. Right at closing time, around midnight, the guy comes in a third time. This time he has a glass framed concert poster, signed by BB, with a note that read something along the lines off great food, thanks for feeding my crew. That's when we realized, we just fed an all time legend. Never met him, but I fed him. And that's my cool story bro. Still think it's funny he has glass frames for his concert posters readily available....

Joined: 07/01/2013

MGoPoints: 13070

Hill Street Blue

May 15th, 2015 at 9:11 AM ^

Now he truly is Riding with the King.  RIP blues man.

He didn't have much of a formal education, but he saw to it that all his kids went college.  When asked why his was still recording and touring at his advanced age, he said he loved playing and was putting all his grandkids through college too. How awesome is that?

Joined: 01/12/2011

MGoPoints: 1580

Lou MacAdoo

May 15th, 2015 at 9:28 AM ^

We used to go to Memphis every year for the international blues competition on Beale St. It's a weekend festival of unsigned blues artists from around the world. Some local artist qualified for it so we went to support them, party, eat BBQ, and listen to some great blues. One night we went to BBs restaurant for dinner. We had no idea who was playing that night. Well we were fortunate enough to be surprised by an unannounced performance by the blues legend himself. Great seats and a great performance. A memory I'll have forever. RIP



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 10/16/2011

MGoPoints: 6398

543Church

May 15th, 2015 at 11:15 AM ^

I saw him at the Michigan Theater in 94 or 95 I think.   I'm not a huge blues fan, but I play guitar so I wanted to see a legend.  It was a very entertaining show. 

Joined: 03/09/2012

MGoPoints: 10547

Unsalted

May 15th, 2015 at 11:59 AM ^

I got to see BB twice, once at the Colorado Springs Performing Arts Center, which was fantastic with great acoustics.

The second time was at a small outdoor blues festival on Memorial Day weekend in Northern Alabama, which he of course headlined. This was a great venue, up close on a lawn chair, outside with the King of the Blues. He was about a hour late because he had already played elsewhere earlier in the day, and after he left this show he was off to play a 3rd show in another city on the same day!

This was in the mid 1990's so BB was around 70 at the time. If James Brown was the hardest working man in show business, BB was not far behind!

RIP Riley B King, and you too Lucille

Joined: 09/26/2014

MGoPoints: 4090

Louie C

May 15th, 2015 at 1:00 PM ^

That sucks knowing that we'll never hear him or sweet Lucille again. That man was a true to life guitar hero. There are many lengendary guitarists, but very few of them can convey emotions through their instrument the way he did. One song, Lucile would be upbeat and happy, then on anothre she would be in the throes of utter despair. That shit is magical.

Mr King was good childhood  friends with various members of my family down in Mississippi. My mom and her family are from there, and to hear how folks like them, Mr. King  and others overcame abject poverty and brutal (and I mean brutal) racism is truly remarkable.

Joined: 11/16/2009

MGoPoints: 1136

ca_prophet

May 15th, 2015 at 2:04 PM ^

I saw him in Nyon, France in 1982 as part of the Paleo Folk Festival - a bunch of bands I'd never heard of, the Stray Cats, and BB King (I was on a summer exchange program). My host brother wanted to see a bunch of the bands so we drove from Geneva to Nyon and saw the show. I remember thinking after the Stray Cats finished their set that I was done and could go get food now, but then BB King came on and blew the doors down. Fantastic live performer, and someplace on high is getting a real treat now, even by divine standards.

Joined: 09/07/2010

MGoPoints: 7027

Tim in Huntsville

May 15th, 2015 at 2:49 PM ^

I saw BB King a number of times..  

The first time was around 1985 when I took my 2 year old daughter to see him in a theatre in Saginaw; she graduated from UM 10 years ago and now teaches in northeast Michigan.  

Another memorable time was when I took my family to see him in Huntsville, AL around 2001 or so and punk'd my son.  We told him we had a surprise for him and drove to the civic center where BB was playing; it happened to coincide with the annual performances of the Nutcracker..  For about 30 minutes or so after we arrived, he was so pissed that we took him 'to the Nutcracker'.  It wasn't until we actually took our seats that he realized why we were there..

BB, when I retire and finally have time to learn to play guitar properly, I hope to learn a few or your techniques..

 

Joined: 11/06/2010

MGoPoints: 757

Unfiltered Manball

May 15th, 2015 at 3:20 PM ^

his style of playing cannot be measured.

Blues musicians like King- who had first-hand experience and links to the Mississippi Delta music scene- are national treasures and are now increasingly scarce.

RIP B.B.

 

Joined: 01/03/2013

MGoPoints: 2442