For B.B. King, The Blues Never Stop
B.B. King is a living blues legend. His first Nashville recordings date back to 1949, and his stage name comes from his days as a disc jockey when he was known as the Beale Street Blues Boy. He’s still on the radio with his own music channel on SiriusXM, where he frequently shares anecdotes from his multi-decade career. He also owns a chain of blues-themed restaurants in several major cities that offer nightly entertainment.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee will turn 89 on September 16. He received some criticism for an off-show last April in St. Louis. His unpredictable performance drew catcalls from the audience and national attention that the living legend was slowing down. Billboard later published an apology from King to his fans, explaining that the challenges of a long drive and forgetting to take his diabetes medication that day led to the subpar concert.
The San Francisco sold-out crowd turned a blind eye to everything, and 2,3000 eager fans welcomed him with loud cheers of “We love you B.B.!!, " ready for a night of blues.
King’s bodyguard and valet helped him out of a wheelchair onto a chair positioned at center stage, where he performed for the next 70 minutes. The first 15 minutes of the show felt awkward as King hit several sour notes and blamed his guitarist, who was supposed to have Lucille properly tuned. “Wait till I see him later,” King grunted to the crowd. His voice during band intros was inaudible at times, and he seemed distracted, making sure a young boy in the front received one of his guitar picks.
Once Lucille was warmed up, the show properly got underway with a solid version of “The Thrill Is Gone.” King took opportunities throughout his set to sway back and forth in his chair with one hand on his hip and the other waving freely in the air. His familiar commanding voice returned during an extended version of “Rock Me Baby.”
King told the crowd he didn’t want to go, as his bodyguard, bandleader, and valet loomed ominously behind his chair. As the seasoned guitarist shared one last story from his past, he threw out guitar picks and trinkets like candy to lucky fans in the front rows. An anxious young woman with pen and paper in hand hurried past a security guard, hoping to get an autograph from B.B., but she had no luck.
On the count of three, they helped him up, his fedora properly positioned and his overcoat on. In true bluesman style, King turned to thank everyone, waved goodbye, and headed to the next town.
Musicians: Reggie Richards (bass), Herman Jackson (drums), Ernest Van Trese (Keyboards), Charlie Damers (guitar), Walter Riley King (saxophone), Melvin Jackson (saxophone), Stanley Abernathy (trumpet), James ‘Boogaloo’ Bolin (flugelhorn/bandleader).
Set List: Band Introduction| I Need You So | |The Thrill Is Gone | You Are My Sunshine | Darlin’ You Know I Love You | Rock Me, Baby | Sweet Sixteen | Every Day I Have the Blues |
B.B. King w/ Harry Duncan
August 22, 2014
The Warfield, San Francisco
Photo: Steve Roby
