B.B. King Dies At 89, The World Sings The Blues
Blues legend B.B. King passed away in his Las Vegas home at approximately 9:40 p.m., Thursday May 14, according to his lawyer. King had been placed in hospice recently after complications from high blood pressure and diabetes. King’s illness made headlines last month as his daughter and manager battled over control of his financial and healthcare decisions.
B.B. King became known as the “King of the Blues” after such hits as “The Thrill is Gone” and “Lucille.” King was the hallmark of what other blues musicians strived to become. Last fall, King‘s struggle with health issues forced the blues legend to cancel his final tour. A long sufferer of diabetes, King even acted as a spokesman for One Touch, a blood sugar monitoring system.
After B.B. was recently hospitalized for dehydration, King‘s daughter Karen Williams had sought to control the his financial and healthcare affairs stating that his manager was neglecting him and unable to adequately care for King.
B.B. King was born September 16, 1925 in Mississippi. It wasn’t until he was 24 years old that King got his first opportunity to record his music for RPM records. Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, King was known as a trend setter for his bluesy guitar riffs and raspy, deep vocals. In 2011, King was ranked #6 in Rolling Stones’ Top 100 Guitarists of All Time.
Within minutes of the announcement of King’s passing, distraught fans took to Twitter to share their grief and good time memories of the legend:
B.B. King news really hits home with me. I grew up on the blues, he was a big reason I play guitar today. RIP.
— Paul DiGiovanni (@paulBLG) May 15, 2015
Goodbye Superman of Blues… #RIP B. B. King pic.twitter.com/WLLx8unmel
— Superman (@SupermanTweets) May 15, 2015
B.B. King. My heart just broke into a million pieces. Not enough space to describe my feelings of the man. Legend, pure, real, teacher..
— Lee Brice (@leebrice) May 15, 2015
RIP to The Legend that will always #BE. Mr. B.B. #KING.. His Thrill Lives ON!!!! And We Thank #GOD for Him. pic.twitter.com/fpy1DH0MrU
— MC HAMMER (@MCHammer) May 15, 2015
Rumored to have fathered fifteen children, B.B. King is also survived by his adoring fans, his timeless classics, and his guitar Lucille. Funeral and memorial plans are pending.
For now we leave you with one of B.B.’s most classic hits:
[Image courtesy of Win McNamee/Getty Images.)
