There are a lot of rock/folk stories out there and one that I’m a fan of is how B.B. King got to call his Gibson ES-335 Lucille.

It was the winter of 1949 in Twist, Arkansas. B.B. King had just rolled into town to play a gig at this old music hall. Now it was cold outside, and so the best and cheapest way to keep a building warm in those days was to use kerosene. Yeah a barrel and a half would do it. So people were partying, having a laugh and dancing when a fight broke out between two men. This scuffle knocked over the barrel of kerosene and the whole building went up. People were running for their lives as the building rapidly burnt to the ground. The only thing on B.B’s mind was his guitar. This was the tool of his trade, the only way he had of making a living. So he braved the flames and ran back into the burning building to rescue his guitar.

The next day Mr. King was to hear that two people had died in the fire that night and that a woman named Lucille was the reason for the fight that started the fire which ended their lives. B.B. King then named his Gibson and every other guitar after that “Lucille” just to remind himself not to ever do stupid things like running into burning buildings or fighting over women.

Listen to: B.B. King – Lucille on Youtube

Buy Music:

B.B. King on amazon.com

B.B. King on amazon.co.uk

B.B. King Official Website

B.B. King is universally recognized as the leading exponent of modern blues. A fourteen time Grammy winner, he has received virtually every music award, including the Grammy for Lifetime Achievement in 1987. He is one of the greatest, most influential blues guitar stylists, composers and singers of the 20th century and is without a doubt the single most important electric guitarist of the last half century, ranked 3rd in Rolling Stone Magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

‘B.B. King – Live At The BBC’, is a wonderful collection that compiles the best of B.B. King’s BBC recordings onto one CD for the very first time and includes some of his biggest hits, such as “Paying the Cost to Be the Boss” and “The Thrill Is Gone” as well as “When Love Comes To Town”, the duet with U2 that took him to the top of the UK charts and gave him his first MTV exposure.

Featuring highlights from his 3 finest UK performances alongside a session recording made in the BBC’s studios, this CD offers an incredible snapshot of an artist at the peak of his career performing some of his greatest material.

B.B. King – Live At The BBC track list:

Hammersmith Odeon 14/10/78

1. Caldonia
2. I Love To Live The life
3. Night Life
4. When It All Comes Down (I’ll Still Be Around)
5. The Thrill Is Gone

Glasgow Jazzfest 4/7/91

6. I Gotta Move Out Of This Neighbourhood
7. When Love Comes To Town

Andy Kershaw Session 30/3/89

8. Let The Good Times Roll
9. Stormy Monday Blues
10. Ain’t Nobody Home
11. Five Long Years
12. How Blue Can You Get?

Fairfield Hall Croydon 20/6/98

13. Paying The Cost To Be The Boss
14. The Thrill Is Gone

Cat number 5306314
UPC 0-06007-5306314-9

B.B. King – Live at the BBC on amazon.co.uk

B.B. King Official Website