When I first started playing guitar, “The Thrill Is Gone” was one of the first songs that I learned. I learned the whole song note for note by ear, the solo and all. Later on, I jammed in a full band playing the song at a small bar in Greenwich years ago… really I did. I’ll never forget it. So BB King was a huge inspiration and influence in my life and my own guitar playing. For many years, I have been trying to develop a good vibrato and ’cause of BB’s lessons in the videos below, he taught me the wrist vibrato which helped my vibrato greatly.
I’ve been a long time BB King fan myself. It’s amazing how long of a life he lived and there was never a time where I haven’t seen BB without a guitar slung over his shoulders. Each time you see him do a live performance or an interview, he always had a guitar. Guitar is what he always loved to do. He played guitar ’til the day he died. Not only that, he also performed on stage and kept making music ’til the day he died. He never stopped what he was doing. A lot of musicians retire at an old age but not BB. Even though he was old, he sacrificed himself to keep performing no matter what. Even though he wasn’t feeling well, he would still get up to perform. Why? Simply because that is what who he was. The stage belonged to him.
BB was a genius guitar player and the master. He may have been well known for the song “Thrill is Gone” which is his anthem but all of his other music is great too. I’m planning to buy the live album “Live at the Regal” like Eric recommended in the video below.
A sad loss in the music industry. BB King was 89 years old.
Kev
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVe24YFGoiM
K'Brocking 