BB King, the definitive bluesman for several generations of music lovers, died in Las Vegas at the age of 89. The 'King of Blues' was a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and admired as much for his guitar skills as for his deep, smokey vocals. (Also Read:
The Thrill is Gone)
Of his greatest hits,
Lucille is among the most popular and was the name he gave to his guitars. The story goes that in 1949, a dance hall that Mr King was playing in went up in flames after a fight broke out between two men and they knocked over a burning barrel. As everyone streamed out, Mr King went back into the burning building for his guitar. He later discovered that the fight was over a woman named Lucille, and he adopted the name for his guitar - and every guitar he owned ever since. In 1980, Gibson named a model of guitar after both the song and the singer - the BB King Lucille.
Several of BB King's best-loved songs were collaborations with other artistes. Like this famous one with Irish rock band U2,
When Love Comes to Town:
BB King dueted with fellow guitar hero Eric Clapton on his hit song
The Thrill is Gone at the Clapton-organised 2010 Crossroads Festival.
At the Royal Albert Hall, a jam session with Slash, Ronnie Wood, Simply Red's Mick Hucknall, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi.
Three Blazers hit song
How Blue Can You Get has been covered by artists from Fleetwood Mac to Cyndi Lauper. BB King's version is perhaps the most popular. He also performed it in the film Blues Brothers 2000.