The legendary guitarist known as B.B. King, whose velvety voice and expressive style brought blues from the margins to the mainstream, died Thursday night. 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.
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.
King’s single-string guitar notes trilled with an unmistakable vibrato from his hollow-bodied Gibson affectionately known as Lucille.
In 1970, he won his first Grammy for his trademark song, “The Thrill is Gone.
R.I.P. – BB King – Let The Good Times Roll (From “Legends of Rock ‘n’ Roll” DVD) Video