Hail to the King!

My tribute to the great B.B. King

- JOE BONAMASSA

TODAY, I'D LIKE to talk about the legacy of the legendary B.B. King, as 2025 marked what would have been his 100th birthday. I met B.B. in 1990 when I was 13 years old, and we became lifelong friends. He was the nicest and most generous person I've ever known.

I recently recorded a tribute album in B.B.'s honor, Blues Summit 100. Sadly, he passed at the age of 89 on May 14, 2015, but he left behind a trove of the most essential and influential blues recordings of all time. Everything that I and most other blues and blues-rock influenced guitarists play, owes a tip to the hat to B.B. The title of my tribute album references the guitarist's 1993 release Blues Summit, which features duets with Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins and others. Following in that tradition, Blues Summit 100 includes appearances by Buddy Guy, Slash, Marcus King, Jimmie Vaughan, Kirk Fletcher and a variety of other guests.

When you talk about legendary guitarists and their indelible marks, there are some who can be identified upon hearing them play a few notes. With B.B., all it takes is one note! That's it! Just one stinging vibrato and you know it can only be him.