Good News Tucson - A Family Values Publication

Let The Good Times Roll!

by Travis Kelly

“Tell Everybody! Tell Everybody! That BB King is in town”, shouted by the King himself while singing “Let the Good Times Roll”. The “Beale Street Blues Boy” returns to the Old Pueblo for one night at the Desert Diamond Casino in July. A nickname that Riley B. King received while spinning records as a DJ in Memphis over 60 years ago and that name, although shortened, has stuck. The world knows the greatest living blues man as BB. Even better than that, they know “Lucille,” his beloved best friend, a custom-made black Gibson guitar.

Master Bluesmen have come and gone. The Blues, the music that spawned rock and roll, still endures. The sounds and voices of many legends are no longer with us, but the King plays on as he nears his 83rd birthday. At an age when most men are winding down and relaxing a bit more, the King is hard at work pumping his sound to many fans night after night. This is nothing new to the fans of blues music. These men perform as long as they breathe.

BB King is one of the most respected blues guitarists. He may very well be the most recognized blues musician of all time. BB reached Memphis in 1947 at a time when competition was tough.

Muddy, the Wolf, Big Joe Turner, Jimmy Reed and many more were cutting their teeth in the business. In 1949 BB released his first single, but like many, his fame and success came with the 1950’s. Songs like “Sweet Little Angel” and “Everyday I Have the Blues” became huge hits on the R&B charts and remain concert staples to this day. In the 1960’s a guy named Bill Graham brought BB along with many other blues artists into a new spotlight. BB King began to crossover onto the pop charts and the hit song “Thrill is Gone” climbed all the way to number fifteen in 1969. The King of the Blues was hand selected by the Rolling Stones to open 18 North American Tour dates in 1969. He has won 14 Grammy™ awards. BB has received honorary doctorate degrees from both Brown and Yale Universities. In 2006 President George W. Bush presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. BB King has influenced many guitarists – guys like Jeff Beck, George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Together in 2000 with Eric Clapton they collaborated on and recorded his most successful album in years “Riding with the King”.

Over the years, BB King has made his own unique sound. His style is one of the most recognized sounds in music today. One note and you know that it’s BB. A blend of Blind Lemon Jefferson and T Bone Walker, the notes are bent and clear as a cloudless coastal day.

Lucille has been known to sing the notes that BB plays. “When I sing I play in my mind: The minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.”

BB, once the boy, who left for Memphis in 1947 to study the blues and live with his first cousin Blues Legend Bukka White, is now a legend himself. BB is still performing some 200 shows a year and has performed more than 15,000 shows in his career.

“The way I feel today, as long as my health is good and I can handle myself well and people still come to my concerts, still buy my CD’s, I’ll keep playing until I feel like I can’t.”

I saw the King of the Blues for the first time over 20 years ago and many times since. I followed what was left of the great bluesmen and took in their shows. As they aged they played seated. Yes, sorry to say seated, but even the great Muddy Waters took a seat to perform. The King is now seated but just as good as ever and in no way is he slowing down. BB’s magic brings energy and a good time feel to every audience. They hang on every note and every word. They clap when he says to and they sing along to his many hits.

The older he gets and the longer he seems to continue touring, his legacy just keeps growing. The man known as BB is loved by all. Young or old no matter what background you come from, never heard the blues, never seen BB or seen him ten times – this show is for you. His fans can relate to his music. He has lived the songs he sings, the good times and the bad times. The lights will go down on the night of July 13, 2008 and the band will heat up. The King of the Blues will take his seat center stage and shout, “Hey everybody let’s have some fun. You only live but once and when you’re dead, you’re done. So Let the Good Times Roll!”

Travis Kelly is a music lover who serves on the leadership team at Pathway of Hope Foursquare Church. Email Travis at Music@GoodNewsTucson.com.