MUMBAI: BB King, the iconic blues singer, songwriter and guitarist, passed away on Thursday, 14 May in Las Vegas at the age of 89. The news of his death came from his attorney, Brent Bryson, who said that the American musician died while asleep in his home.
Earlier this month, the legendary guitarist was taken to hospital to treat diabetes and high blood pressure. King has suffered from diabetes for over two decades, and was recently admitted to hospital, for the second time in one month.
King, who began his music career in 1949 by recording songs for RPM Records under contract, is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. In the course of his music career, he sold millions of records all over the world. In 1980 he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, and then later in 1987 became a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
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In 2014, ‘The King of Blues’, as he was also known, was also inducted into the R&B Music Hall of Fame. King, who had one of the most distinguishable guitar styles in the world, was also a 15-time Grammy winner.
One of the most notable things about the legendary musician was that he named his guitars, in most cases they were black Gibson guitars, ‘Lucille’. While he did play guitars from other manufacturers, like Fender, King’s love for Gibson guitars ran so deep that the company, in 1980, unveiled the B. B. King Lucille model. Later in 1999, Gibson launched another version of their Blueshawk guitar, called ‘Little Lucille’.
King’s last live appearance came in October 2014, while he was on tour. However, after falling ill while on tour, the blues legend had to cancel the remaining dates. Earlier this month, a message was posted to King’s official website stating, “I am in home hospice care at my residence in Las Vegas. Thanks to all for your well wishes and prayers.”
