BLUES LEGEND BB KING has died in Las Vegas at age 89, his lawyer has said.
Attorney Brent Bryson told The Associated Press that King died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas.
The one-time farmhand brought new fans to the blues and influenced a generation of musicians with his heartfelt vocals and soaring guitar on songs such as “The Thrill Is Gone.”
King sold millions of records worldwide and was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He played a Gibson guitar that he affectionately called ‘Lucille’ and was not only the undisputed king of the blues, but a mentor to scores of guitarists including Eric Clapton.
One of the star’s best known songs – his U2 duet ‘Love Comes to Town’ – reached number 1 in the Irish Singles Chart in 1989.
He was awarded his 15th Grammy in 2009 in the traditional blues album category for “One Kind Favor.”
AP with reporting from Daragh Brophy.
- Originally published 7am
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say