<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar World in Bb-king ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/tag/bb-king Fri, 08 May 2026 09:17:08 +0000 en <![CDATA[ “Quite how many Lucilles there were is unclear”: Everybody knows B.B. King played a Gibson guitar named Lucille – but what model was it really? ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/what-kind-of-guitar-was-bb-king-lucille 9YifEoNKYmD2VtCp5hQUrh Fri, 08 May 2026 09:17:08 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He would put a lot of treble on his amp to get the sound he wanted out of Lucille. Working and being in his presence was magical”: Jerry Jemmott on playing bass with B.B. King ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/jerry-jemmott-on-playing-with-bb-king yCEd7fNCYn7bf2ZQjHRujT Fri, 01 May 2026 09:29:50 +0000 Fri, 01 May 2026 09:31:49 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My dad said, ‘Take a seat – a band is coming in to make a record.’ I spotted a guitar case entering through the side door… carried by none other than B.B. King”: Billy Gibbons on how B.B. King changed his life ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/zz-top-billy-gibbons-on-bb-king EZQbSKQb2zHqByP9BWuaX3 Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:00:36 +0000 <![CDATA[ “For King, there was nothing particularly special about the show… It would go on to rank among the best live albums of all time”: The life and times of B.B. King ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/bb-king-the-life-and-times-of-the-king-of-the-blues 5iCSv3fNDxKHAVvsvSuqaa Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:34:16 +0000 Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:20:04 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I’ve never been a real hot player, and a lot of kids are hot players. I’m slow because I walk slow, talk slow, sing slow”: B.B. King in his own words – the blues’ greatest guitarist on heroes, influences and his philosophy ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/bb-king-in-his-own-words 3nH9k9LCbZephjAXZYvkZC Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:24:45 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We continued being friends for 69 years. I don’t think there’s nobody living today that knew him as long as I did”: Bobby Rush salutes his old friend B.B. King ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/bobby-rush-salutes-his-old-friend-b-b-king Sq3Ch2W3wt9ck5Cg3NWdvh Sat, 04 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0000 Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:59:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ “When we did the tribute to my brother, we had B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy. And just to watch B.B. playing close up was amazing”: Jimmie Vaughan was a garbage man listening to B.B. King. Then he wound up touring with his hero ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/jimmy-vaughan-bb-king-watch-yourself u2wxeiBHpnon6w5Yk5hELJ Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:20:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “There are many approaches Slash could have taken for his solo – I thought it was cool he did his own thing”: How Joe Bonamassa and Slash channeled B.B. King and the Edge for an iconic cover of an iconic tune ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-u2-bb-king-when-love-comes-to-town 9Kj4kuitSZ2ef5fj58Kqx6 Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:10:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I’d never met B.B. and thought he’d look at me like, ‘Who the hell are you?’ So I just froze”: Warren Haynes remembers B.B. King – from being in awe to playing with him ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/warren-haynes-bb-king-tribute FfJFHi7LdizodhQFav9Fz4 Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:21:08 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Every lick he plays sounds perfect, like it’s etched in stone. But I’m sure that he simply improvised everything”: How to play B.B. King’s greatest song (with some help from Joe Bonamassa) ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/how-to-play-bb-king-the-thrill-is-gone 3Hu4UNawX5TboubUFqkYZ7 Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:35:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I remember he had these massive hands… I said, ‘Mr King, my name is Joanne and I’m 13, and I think I’m going to be a blues guitarist’”: Joanne Shaw Taylor’s life-changing first meeting with the great B.B. King ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joanne-shaw-taylor-life-changing-first-meeting-with-the-great-bb-king 3QS6SZ4u9XbzKQnoVq2Ddm Fri, 06 Mar 2026 11:15:00 +0000 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:47:03 +0000 <![CDATA[ “There was a big snowstorm. The governor asked him to postpone the show. He wouldn’t do it. He goes, ‘I told them I’m going to be here and I’m here’”: Joe Bonamassa on his friendship with the ultimate bluesman, B.B. King – and paying the ultimate tribute ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-bb-kings-blues-summit-100 5oFXrxe64TdyrW3af3j5GC Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:21:04 +0000 Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:23:28 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I had a poster on my wall of B.B. King playing Lucille. I always wanted one of those guitars”: Gary Clark Jr. comes full circle with a new signature Gibson ES-355 that pays homage to his hero ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/gibson-custom-gary-clark-jr.-es-335 9uXc7iX8QjsFni9NgQ4NfH Wed, 18 Feb 2026 15:54:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ “More than anything, I wanted to go, but I just froze”: Warren Haynes on the time he missed the chance to play with B.B. King ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/warren-haynes-playing-with-bb-king daFPFgj5T3CDh8oNhS9VDV Thu, 12 Feb 2026 10:45:28 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I think about him, ‘What would B.B. King do?’” How Justin Lyons is channeling the King of the Blues in mgk's punk-rock band – and he even has his own Lucille ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/justin-guitarslayer-lyons-punk-rock-bb-king-lucille-tribute 2VzkFwPr9pfnjkjZncSL7i Sun, 08 Feb 2026 19:30:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “B.B. asked to try a few licks on my guitar. He smiled and asked, ‘Why you working so hard?’” How B.B. King changed Billy Gibbons’ approach to guitar strings ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/how-bb-king-changed-billy-gibbons-approach-to-strings 7EyetemvP7rdUgR2uEjqRK Sat, 07 Feb 2026 14:00:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I was too young to get in. Then T-Bone Walker walked by and said, ‘Let me talk to ’em, son’”: When a 13-year-old Jimmie Vaughan was stopped from watching B.B. King play, another blues great came to his aid ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/jimmie-vaughan-on-seeing-bb-king-live-aged-13 pu4iKTrL2RputupKNZSSUZ Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:53:25 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I met him in 1990 when I was 13 years old. We became lifelong friends”: Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to B.B. King – and shows us why blues starts and ends with the King ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-bb-king-tribute toobzrQRGxjWpjbPrwCFyQ Sun, 01 Feb 2026 22:00:00 +0000 Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:47:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ “There is no greater story of triumph than that of B.B. King. I’m humbled to help bring it to life”: A B.B. King biopic is on the way – and it will chronicle the blues legend’s life, legacy and Lucille ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/bb-king-biopic-announced n6yApksNSpqoGgGRxvt8m8 Mon, 08 Dec 2025 15:28:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ “You only get one shot to do this correctly. And I think we nailed it”: Joe Bonamassa once called Eric Clapton his favorite guitar player of all time. Now, the two blues greats are set to collaborate on a B.B. King classic ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-teams-up-with-eric-clapton-on-b-b-king-tribute-project 9FbMetYUYohFqWRJtUjWqP Wed, 19 Nov 2025 16:52:25 +0000 Wed, 26 Nov 2025 13:10:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ “ESP asked me to pyrograph James Hetfield’s Explorer. I wasn’t sure who James was, but I said yes”: Meet Dino Muradian, the pyrographer who makes a living burning artwork into stars’ guitars ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/guitars/dino-muradian-pyrographed-guitars WciNbfQaFpb9UW6oz65QDG Tue, 28 Oct 2025 12:42:57 +0000 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 12:45:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ “B.B.’s only wish was, ‘Do what you can to keep the blues alive.’ Hopefully this album gives a B12 shot to his legacy”: Joe Bonamassa announces a landmark B.B. King tribute album with a jaw-dropping roster of collaborators ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-b-b-king-tribute-album c4rAxEqbD85RxxTqqf73Ki Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:10:54 +0000 Wed, 24 Sep 2025 14:42:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ “A good guitar solo should sound like an orgasm. I can hear it in Eddie Van Halen’s playing, and Jimi Hendrix. I live for the juicy notes”: Carlos Santana on playing like a soul singer and his visitations from B.B. King, Miles Davis and Stevie Ray Vaughan ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/carlos-santana-sentient b2sB4gnnRDYkeXQMcduhvK Wed, 03 Sep 2025 08:51:37 +0000 Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:53:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “A George Benson, or John Mayer, or B.B. King, or Albert King solo, you can almost sing it”: Isaiah Sharkey on what he learned about guitar soloing – after playing with the likes of John Mayer, D'Angelo and Paul Simon ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/isaiah-sharkey-on-what-he-learned-about-guitar-soloing yF2z7sepvPfrhHwn68MNjC Fri, 08 Aug 2025 15:49:57 +0000 Wed, 13 Aug 2025 15:23:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I traveled around the world for four years, recording 22 guests in some crazy places”: Jimmy Rip remembers recording Jimmy Page, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and more for one of the greatest all-star albums of all time ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/jimmy-rip-on-recording-last-man-standing-with-jerry-lee-lewis tH8hN6hk3VfnSPKtjaurDZ Wed, 23 Jul 2025 16:16:49 +0000 Mon, 28 Jul 2025 14:34:34 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My dad stepped in to greet the ensemble – and then in came The King”: Billy Gibbons shares the story of the “treasured moment” he sat in on a B.B. King session – as a child ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/billy-gibbons-watched-bb-king-record-aged-7 J2G72k8zfSf78dHmFHJA9Z Sat, 05 Jul 2025 09:23:00 +0000 Tue, 08 Jul 2025 12:15:16 +0000 <![CDATA[ Bend it like B.B.: What you can learn from these 6 blues and jazz guitar greats ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/techniques/six-authentic-licks-in-the-style-of-some-of-the-greatest-blues-minds-of-all-time oQbonjSPxpXBL596gcyCVf Thu, 15 May 2025 15:00:10 +0000 Wed, 21 May 2025 10:26:49 +0000 <![CDATA[ “B.B. King was in a wheelchair for maybe four or five years before he died, and I’m not on crutches yet”: Fresh off his cameo in Michael B. Jordan’s Sinners, Buddy Guy confirms he’s not done with performing just yet ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/buddy-guy-confirms-hes-not-done-with-performing-yet nvvoa4yVG76UjgDRKHQhTU Tue, 06 May 2025 12:16:23 +0000 Tue, 13 May 2025 14:07:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Muddy Waters and BB King, I knew ’em before they passed away, and they told me, ‘Man, if you outlive me, just try to keep the blues alive’”: Buddy Guy is still on the road – and he’s back on the big screen in Michael B. Jordan’s Sinners ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/buddy-guy-sinners-appearane Z6AgJgPLqSPGY3muTra65B Tue, 29 Apr 2025 20:26:18 +0000 Thu, 26 Jun 2025 10:56:56 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The goal was to shake up B.B. King’s music and make it chart-friendly”: B.B. King had his breakthrough blues guitar moment with The Thrill Is Gone – but it was Jerry Jemmott’s bass that made it groove ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/jerry-jemmott-bb-king-the-thrill-has-gone 9AKvAyrxJpG42iinsi3RJN Fri, 17 Jan 2025 12:03:03 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:18:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ “You might want to play on the cleaner side of the tracks, buttry cranking it up a little – it damn-near takes off”: Why Gibson’s B.B. King ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ 1974 ES-355 is a technical knockout ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/electric-guitars/gibson-bb-king-rumble-in-the-jungle-1974-es-355 66KhfjqAcYRqf7myhCTvgL Fri, 10 Jan 2025 13:06:38 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:20:56 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It wasn’t just a concert – it was a defining cultural moment”: Gibson honors one of B.B. King’s greatest live performances with knockout ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ ES-355 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/gibson-bb-king-rumble-in-the-jungle-1974-es-355 fnWAYPATHJ7Mn53LEhB89A Wed, 25 Sep 2024 10:13:37 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:21:01 +0000 <![CDATA[ “He plays five notes, and those five notes said more than any of these metal shredders could ever wish they could say”: Grace Bowers on how B.B. King completely changed her perspective on what makes a good guitar solo ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/grace-bowers-on-how-bb-king-changed-her-perspective-on-guitar-solos WbByF4EJQmT7xr8KWBARDm Mon, 02 Sep 2024 09:12:00 +0000 Thu, 12 Sep 2024 13:42:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ “We wanted to take these timeless classics and add some funk to it in order to reach a younger and different audience”: B.B. King Blues Experience tour announced for 2025 in honor of the late blues great’s 100th birthday ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bb-king-blues-experience-tour-2025 gx8SHdvhKpM67cCRqecFDG Tue, 30 Jul 2024 16:08:14 +0000 Tue, 30 Jul 2024 16:08:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Slash has jammed with B.B. King – not many rockers could hang with the blues OGs like that”: Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram first heard Slash on Guitar Hero – now he’s hitting the road in the GN'R man’s traveling blues show ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/christone-kingfish-ingram-on-slash-serpent-festival-blues-guitar QdoNEFrfEMJZeXC5qpipNG Mon, 01 Jul 2024 12:49:40 +0000 Tue, 16 Jul 2024 10:06:59 +0000 <![CDATA[ “When I met him, he didn't have an amp. He would use my Twin Reverb and turn it all the way up. And he would sound like B.B. King”: Joe Bonamassa recalls the times B.B. King borrowed his amp – and made it sound better than him ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bb-king-borrowing-joe-bonamassa-amp WWYmjJeimN7cufE3GxnAQY Thu, 30 May 2024 09:52:30 +0000 Tue, 11 Jun 2024 09:55:29 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I have probably modeled myself after that. I go, ‘Well B.B. did it, so I can do it!’” Slash reveals one of the biggest lessons he learned from his blues hero, B.B. King ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/slash-bb-king-lessons JrAHz6QgHrT9HK3D9Mxo8f Mon, 20 May 2024 10:43:10 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:20:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ “When I play the trill with my finger, my hand is not on the neck at all. It all comes fromthe wrist”: The story of B.B. King, the greatest blues guitar player of all time ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/bb-king-the-greatest-blues-player-of-all-time SF5bqYMt6ojfUCH4qDfy9i Thu, 18 Apr 2024 10:20:03 +0000 Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:37:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ Improve your blues soloing now with 10 tasty B.B. King-inspired intro licks ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/bb-king-blues-lick-intros o46yJBL4Uo7HywCYi5BTQZ Thu, 08 Feb 2024 16:40:26 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:19:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ Anybody who has picked up the electric guitar owes something to B.B. King – learn how to incorporate his lyrical style and immaculate phrasing into your own playing with these must-try solos ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/bb-king-lyrical-solo-style-lesson DC7LacNnZT8mEHhRpRXM7Z Tue, 26 Dec 2023 10:34:09 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:19:12 +0000 <![CDATA[ "You are hot tonight, young man": when Gary Moore (and Greeny) played The Thrill Is Gone with B.B. King ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/bb-king-Gary-Moore-thrill-is-gone fD6gBCQP2nVULaZJNAuuHV Mon, 10 Jul 2023 21:50:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ Joe Bonamassa, Joanne Shaw Taylor and Carmen Vandenberg play an electrifying game of blues tag in this cover of B.B. King’s Ain’t Nobody Home ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/joe-bonamassa-joanne-shaw-taylor-carmen-vandenberg-aint-nobody-home-bb-king 8dE9nnFqLvhAPVRkBicusM Fri, 09 Jun 2023 13:40:28 +0000 Fri, 09 Jun 2023 13:52:02 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch the moment Derek Trucks receives the biggest compliment possible from B.B. King after dazzling him with his slide skills ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/derek-trucks-bb-king-guess-who PWNfbJfJLR2PEzPzPkUyCJ Fri, 17 Mar 2023 13:01:36 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Bonnie Raitt leave B.B. King in awe with a series of stunning slide solos at the House of Blues Chicago in 2004 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/bonnie-raitt-bb-king-slide-solos-2004 Xbx9RDXYrNbNS5Ee829Bk9 Wed, 08 Mar 2023 15:11:49 +0000 Fri, 13 Sep 2024 15:45:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ Gibson commemorates B.B King’s iconic Live at the Regal album with Custom Shop Argentine Grey ES-335 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/gibson-bb-king-live-at-the-regal-es-335 eydgg2offCCr8YnBvSPZD7 Tue, 21 Feb 2023 17:56:05 +0000 <![CDATA[ Learn the vibrato styles of 5 giants of the blues ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/learn-the-vibrato-styles-of-5-giants-of-the-blues sm6ReUEmD7CmSfSBZEo9jH Wed, 21 Dec 2022 16:13:25 +0000 Tue, 24 Jan 2023 17:12:29 +0000 <![CDATA[ How to play the blues like B.B. King ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/how-to-play-like-bb-king 7dKdewQ585kRv4MZkwVHLT Fri, 12 Aug 2022 11:05:50 +0000 Wed, 17 Aug 2022 18:08:45 +0000 <![CDATA[ Epiphone unveils new Cherry-finished B.B. King Lucille guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/epiphone-bb-king-lucille-cherry Yv9zFTNZFy8DB2rvxxL7zZ Tue, 07 Jun 2022 19:23:14 +0000 <![CDATA[ 10 pro guitarists who broke strings onstage – and how they recovered ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/guitarists-who-broke-strings-onstage Xuio3XjozJXKoVBH7ji89c Tue, 24 May 2022 15:22:14 +0000 Wed, 25 May 2022 09:13:12 +0000 <![CDATA[ The secrets behind B.B. King’s guitar tone on The Thrill Is Gone ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/bb-king-the-thrill-is-gone-guitar-tone tetpCq6FnqvevUYSGZMh5Q Fri, 18 Mar 2022 14:43:29 +0000 Wed, 26 Jun 2024 16:00:59 +0000