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B.B. King was one of a kind.

I've seen him three times that I can recall. My favorite memory was seeing him on a double bill with the late Ray Charles. It was in Tokyo on their 1990 'Superband' tour. I had to convince several compatriots that they would forever kick themselves if they passed on the chance.

The concert was great, but of the two...I believe that Ray stole the show. One of my regrets is having lost a framed copy of the bill in a moving theft years ago.

Also watched him from backstage at the Fox in St. Louis on a huge blues fest lineup.

He was a unique performer from a generation of bluesmen that we'll never see again.

We saw BB King open for Stevie Ray Vaughn at the Greek Amphitheater in Los Angeles in 1989 when my wife as 4 months pregnant with our now 25 year old son. My boy was actually dancing in the womb. Both men and their bands were in top form at the time. When both sets were over, BB King's band came out on state with Vaughn's band, and they gave the audience a master class in the Blues for another 45 minutes to an hour. I've never forgotten that show.

When I first heard that he was in the hospital, I wondered if BB King would survive. Go in peace, Mr. King. You made a difference in my life.

Must have been a heck of a show. SRV is an artist I never got the chance to catch live.

I saw BB King in the early '70's in the auditorium in Birmingham, Ala. He had a full band at that time. Horns, the works.
The band wore nice crimson colored suits, white dress shirts and crimson neck ties. Very classy. And they, BB and band,
blew me away. That one show led me to T-Bone Walker, Blind Lemmon and many others. Amazing how music can and does
influence your life. I guess the last album I bought of his was Riding with the King. BB King & Eric Clapton....
He'll be missed.

Circa 1971/1972 I went on a first date to see him at The Sugar Shack
nightclub in Boston, a primarily black venue. BBK was great. My date and
I were the only white folks there!
SIA