The word legend is often used to describe people. Sometimes it seems a bit overused, but yesterday a genuine music legend passed on. B.B. King left us at 9:40 pm Pacific time, at 89 years for this life. He was in Las Vegas, where he'd been receiving hospice care for about a week or so following a decline in his health that has been widely reported.
From his guitar Lucille to his impact on blues musicians and guitarists alike, to hit collaborations with U2 and Eric Clapton, his contributions are hard to measure. He was among the first performers HPR's All Things Considered Local Host Dave Lawrence was privileged to speak with when arriving in Honolulu to do afternoon radio in 2002. In honor of this musical giant, we spend some time with him today; here are highlights of this Blaisdell Arena dressing room interview recorded in November 2002, with the one and only… BB King.
See some full concert videos of B.B. King live in concert: