B.B King: The King Of The Blues
Surely, no blues guitarist is more famous than B.B. King. Not only is he widely recognised by the general public, but he is also held in the highest regard by his peers.
Legendary albums such as Live at the Regal, Riding with the King (with Eric Clapton), and my personal favourite, B.B. King in London, solidified his place in music history.
Throughout his long career, B.B. King earned over 20 Grammys and numerous other awards—each one clearly well-deserved.
B.B. King’s best-known tunes include The Thrill Is Gone, Sweet Little Angel, Paying the Cost to Be the Boss, and When Love Comes to Town from U2’s live album Rattle and Hum.
Why Is B.B. King’s Guitar Named Lucille?
B.B. King’s guitar, famously named Lucille, holds a significant place in his life and music.
The story behind the name goes like this: B.B. King often played at a club where the only heat source was a barrel filled with kerosene, set alight in the middle of the dance floor. During one performance, two men began fighting and knocked over the barrel, setting the wooden-framed club on fire. Despite the danger of falling, burning timber, B.B. ran back into the building to rescue his beloved guitar.
Later, B.B. discovered the two men had been fighting over a woman named Lucille. As a result, he decided to name his guitar after her, using it as a constant reminder to never again do something as foolish as fighting over a woman.
The Thrill Is Gone & Paying The Cost To Be The Boss
Perhaps B.B. King’s most famous tune, The Thrill Is Gone is a minor blues that has come to symbolise the genre itself.
As a blues standard, it’s one of those songs you can call at any jam session, and musicians will immediately pick it up, often knowing the key without even having to ask.
Another legendary track in B.B. King’s catalogue is Paying the Cost to Be the Boss, a 1968 single that became a signature song for the King of the Blues.
Known for his iconic licks, B.B. was a master at using his guitar to lead the band. His secret lay in his dual role as both a singer and a bandleader, with his guitar serving as the equivalent of a conductor’s baton, guiding the musicians with every note.
B.B. King Tunes | Related Pages
Love Me Tender | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Love Me Tender by Elvis using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| D D/A | E7 E7/B | A7 | D D/A |
Love me tender, love me sweet, never let me go…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Love Me Tender (Elvis) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Paying The Cost To Be The Boss | Chords + Lyrics
Learn how to play Paying The Cost To Be The Boss by B.B. King using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and a Spytunes video guitar lesson.
| B9 (Fm7b5 D#m7b5) | E9 (A#m7b5 G#m7b5) |
You act like you don’t wanna listen, when I’m talking to you…
The Thrill Is Gone | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn how to play The Thrill Is Gone by B.B. King using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and a Spytunes video guitar lesson.
| Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 | Bm7 |
The thrill is gone, the thrill is gone away…
B.B. King on the web
