King of the Blues’ blues legend B.B. King dead at age 89

World Today

In this photo taken April 30, 2008, blues great B.B. King performs at the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, Fla. King died peacefully in his sleep late, Thursday, May 14, 2015, at his Las Vegas home, his lawyer said. He was 89. (Daron Dean/The St. Augustine Record via AP)In this photo taken April 30, 2008, blues great B.B. King performs at the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, Fla. King died peacefully in his sleep late, Thursday, May 14, 2015, at his Las Vegas home, his lawyer said. He was 89. (Daron Dean/The St. Augustine Record via AP)

Blues legend B.B. King has died in Las Vegas at age 89, his lawyer said.

Attorney Brent Bryson tells The Associated Press that King died peacefully in his sleep at 9:40 p.m. PDT Thursday at his home in Las Vegas.

The one-time farmhand brought new fans to the blues and influenced a generation of musicians with his heartfelt vocals and soaring guitar on songs such as “The Thrill Is Gone.”


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King sold millions of records worldwide and was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

King played a Gibson guitar that he affectionately called Lucille and was not only the undisputed king of the blues but a mentor to scores of guitarists including Eric Clapton.

He was awarded his 15th Grammy in 2009 in the traditional blues album category for “One Kind Favor.”

Report by the Associated Press


The life of a legend: Remembering B.B. King

The world is mourning a blues icon. B.B. King passed away Thursday at his home in the U.S. city of Las Vegas. CCTV America’s Jim Spellman filed this report from Washington.

Follow Jim Spellman on Twitter @jimspellmanTV