by: Bryant “B-Boy” Worthing @bboyworthing | photos: Carlos Imani @carlosimani
One of his biggest songs ever is “The Thrill Is Gone”, which is almost fitting when hearing that one of the top musicians of all time, BB King, is no longer on Earth with us.
Born Riley B. King, the Mississippi native who was nicknamed the “King of Blues” had a legendary sound known to music lovers that spanned over six decades. BB King died after a fight with dehydration on May 14th in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was in hospice care for two weeks. He also lived with Type II diabetes for over 20 years. He is survived by 15 children and 50 grandchildren.
The entire music industry is currently mourning his passing; he was known as one of the most wholehearted musicians that influenced the entire rock and blues community for several generations, and he landed on the Billboard charts more than frequently. To date, King noted that Frank Sinatra was one of his biggest musical influences. Sinatra also helped King emerge onto the all-white Las Vegas music scene in the 1960’s, where he first made an impact in the mainstream live show circuit, crediting Sinatra for opening doors for black musicians in general.
