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‘We’ve lost the king’: Musicians pay tribute to late blues legend BB King

Recording artist B.B. King performs at his B.B. King's Blues Club at the Mirage Hotel & Casino August 16, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The thrill is gone.

Blues legend BB King, born Riley B. King, a larger than life figure whose unparalleled career spanned seven decades, died in his sleep yesterday in Las Vegas at the age of 89. The Mississippi-born musician was known as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, influenced generations of musicians.

King had been suffering ill health in recent months, and was recently hospitalized with a diabetes-related illness and treated in hospice care.

More from CNN:

The Mississippi native’s reign as “king of the blues” lasted more than six decades and straddled two centuries, influencing a generation of rock and blues musicians, from Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, to Sheryl Crow and John Mayer.

His life was the subject of the documentary “B.B. King: The Life of Riley,” and the inspiration for the The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, which opened in 2008.

King’s enduring legacy came from his refusal to slow down even after cementing his status as an American music icon.

Even with a long list of honors to his name — Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Presidential Medal of Freedom — he maintained a relentless touring schedule well into his 80s.


This morning, online tributes started to pour in, from Lenny Kravitz and Ringo Starr to the Temper Trap and Icona Pop…






BB King a dear friend and inspiration to me….

Posted by Eric Clapton on Friday, May 15, 2015




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