B.B. King Sued by Former Manager
July 21, 2009 – Did you know that B.B. King made a $100 million in the last decade? The Blues legend is known for his non-stop touring and huge popularity. According to King’s ex manager he is part of the reason for that wealth and he wants his fair share. 

Floyd Leiberman has worked with King since 2000 and is suing for $1.5 million. He claims the guitarist simply didn’t pay him his due. The disclosure of King’s assets only came out after this lawsuit but who says the Blues don’t pay no cash? Of course B.B. King is one of a few exceptions in this format. He continually gets played on not only Blues and Jazz stations but some AC outlets still play “The Thrill is Gone.” – by John Beaudin

BB King Frustrated Over Lack of Airplay    
June 3, 2009 – You can be the best musician in the world but until that world hears you no one will buy your records. That seems to be what BB King is saying. The Blues legend does not have many regrets after 6 decades in music but lack of airplay is certainly front and center.

He told MusicRadar, “I’d be a fool if I didn’t think it was frustrating. But I’ve never been lucky getting airplay.” Considering his huge discography it’s almost a crime that most people can only name one song from his career – “The Thrill is Gone.” King says, “The only other time I was really helped was with Thrill is Gone. All the other tunes I recorded may have sold as many, or gone over well. But I know I never got radio coverage.”

The 83 year old goes on to explain the problem with the Blues is lack of mainstream appeal and the fact that most Blues shows are late on Saturday night and “like a lot of people I ain’t no vampire.”

King is set to perform with another legendary Blues guitarist, John Mayall, later this month in the UK. – by John Beaudin

BB King and John Mayall Tour Dates
24/06 Mancehster MEN Arena – buy tickets
25/06 Birmingham NEC Arena
27/06 Cardiff International Arena
28/06 Wembley Arena, London © Copyright (c) Rock History Book.com. For permission to reprint this story contact us

B.B. King Club Helping the Unemployed
Dec. 23, 2008 - Suze Orman won’t help you out of the credit crisis but maybe B.B. King can. The famous guitarist has slashed prices at the B.B. King Blues Club in New York. With so many losing their jobs and homes maybe going to a concert is at the bottom of most everyone’s list.

In February the club will cut evening concert prices by 50%. Here’s the catch. You must be unemployed. It’s a cool gesture anyway. Management announced that if you present an unemployment check and photo ID at the box office you’ll get in half price.

Here’s the line-up for February; Angie Stone, the Cannabis Cup Reggae Band, Ralph Stanley, Maxi Priest, Broadway Underground and Blackstreet, among others. – by Kari Graham

Foo Fighters, John Mayer and BB King Added For Grammy Nominations Concert
Nov. 18, 2008 – Even folks who don’t believe in the Grammy’s agree the performances can go big! No exception for the Grammy Nominations concert to be held Dec. 3.

So far the bill includes Foo Fighters, John Mayer and B.B. King for the show at Nokia Theatre L.A. It will be broadcast on CBS. Hosts for the nominations show include Mariah Carey, LL Cool J and Taylor Swift.

Proceeds from the evening will go straight to the Grammy Museum in L.A.

The 2009 Grammy’s will be held Feb. 8. – by John Rohn

B.B. King, Al Green, Etta James Joining Forces for Summer Tour
April 3, 2007 - The king and queen of the Blues will entertain together this summer as the two embark on a 14 city tour of the U.S. that will also include Al Green and Joan Osborne. (Click for Tickets) King who is 81 years old is also scheduled to tour Canada solo in May and plans more dates near years end. Expect Robert Randolph and James Hunter on selcted dates. - Kari Graham - Story courtesy of Smooth Jazz Now.com

BB King Keeping the Pace at 80
July 21, 2005 - Legendary bluesman BB King will celebrate his 80th birthday this September and is still going strong. He is set to launch a new tour, and is in the process of recording an album of duets whose guests will include Elton John, Gloria Estafan, and Eric Clapton. The guitarist also recently broke ground on the BB King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center on the site of cotton gin where he used to work as a child. The 10 million dollar, 18,000 square foot project will house a state of the art theatre and studio, and feature memorabilia showcasing King's career. More important to the legend however, is the hope the center will offer to poverty stricken youth trying to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy in Mississippi. King, who now lives in Nevada, worked from age 7 picking cotton in the Delta in order to help his family make ends meet, and is an inspiration to many. His single note playing style is clean, lyrical and simple, and the elegance of his playing sets him apart. King and Lucille (his guitar) still perform up to 150 dates a year. His world tour kicks off later this month in Holland, and the new album, which King says won't be all blues, will be released before his birthday in September. - by Cheryl Philips - Story courtesy of Smooth Jazz Now.com

2005 Jazz Journalist Association Awards
May 30, 2005 - BB King's Bar and Grill will be the site of the June 14th 2005 Jazz Journalist Association Awards. In its 9th year, the awards will honour excellence in Jazz journalism and Jazz Music. Nominees for Lifetime Achievement in Jazz include Roy Haynes, Lee Konitz, Sam Rivers, and Hank Jones. Musician of the Year Nominees are Dave Douglas, Dave holland, Joe Lovano, and Brantford Marsalis. Visit http://www.jazzjournalistsawards.com/m_nomineesframe.html for other nominees and categories. BB King's is located at 237 W. 42nd street in New York City. - By Cheryl Philips - Story courtesy of Smooth Jazz Now.com

BB King Gets Statue
April 13, 2004 - When it comes to tributes it doesn't get much better than turning to stone. BB King's hometown of Indianola, Mississippi wants to honor the Blues legend with a statue. Officials say it will be the first thing you see on entering the BB King Park and it should be ready for unveiling when the BB King Museum opens next year. To raise funds for the statue organizers are selling twenty-five dollar bricks and three hundred dollar business slates. As for the design three artists have been asked about ideas ranging from King standing, sitting or simply playing his guitar. - Story courtesy of Smooth Jazz Now.com

B.B. King Wins Sweden's Polar Music Prize
October 17, 2003 - He isn't called the King of the Blues for nothing! BB King who has been recording since the fifties has just won Sweden's Polar Music Prize for his contribution to music. The special award was founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, manager of ABBA, through a donation to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. King will travel to Sweden in May of 2004 to collect the prize which consists of more than your usual trophy. It comes with cash! $130,000 (U.S.) to be exact. King has been recognized for a "total dedication to his music, a rich recording history and tireless touring." - Story courtesy of Smooth Jazz Now.com

Itinerary For The B.B. King Music Festival
July 13, 2003 - Like many specialty summer music festivals the B.B. King Music Festival has decided to forgo the genre specific tag of "Blues" and expand its boundaries. Though the Blues moniker is gone fans can still expect to hear plenty of Blues at this year's 12th annual event. As previously reported legendary bluesman B.B. King will be at every stop of the tour as well as Jeff Beck. For a different flavor organizers have added New Orleans-based progressive-funk group Galactic and Florida soul-blues band Mofro, two groups that are gaining fans among jam-band aficionados, round out the bill. According to festival promoters, King will showcase selections from his new album, "Reflections." - Story courtesy of Smooth Jazz Now.com

B.B. King Festival Expands its Boundaries
May 20, 2003 - Blues guitar legend B.B. King will hit the road again this summer with his Festival tour for the 12th straight year but this time around the sound will be expanding. In previous years the Festival was billed as the B.B. King Blues Music Festival but this year the "blues" has been dropped from the title. Confirmed acts include another guitar god - Jeff Beck plus jam bands Galactic and Mofro will open. King who turns 80 in less than three years is still very active performing over a hundred shows a year. - Story courtesy of Smooth Jazz Now.com