Legendary ‘King of Blues’ BB King, who electrified on stage worldwide including China, dies at 89
To Hong Kong and China fans, he is best remembered for his 1994 Asian concert tour
BB King, who became the face of the American blues worldwide and an inspiration for generations of rock guitarists, has passed away. He was 89.
King – almost as well known as his “woman”, the Gibson ES-355 guitar he named Lucille – died in Las Vegas, which was the blues legend’s primary residence amid years of incessant travel, his daughter said. King kept up a gruelling touring schedule even in his 80s, despite living with Type II diabetes for more than two decades.
To Hong Kong fans, King may be best remembered for his live concert in 1994. He came after he was flown in to Beijing to officially open the city’s Hard Rock Café.
While in the Chinese capital, King was photographed on the Great Wall with Lucille. The Asian tour also saw him play in Taipei, Singapore, Japan and Australia.
“The King of the Blues”, as he was universally known, led a life of non-stop touring, electrifying audiences in some 100 countries with his biting guitar licks and soulful songs of love and angst such as The Thrill is Gone and How Blue Can You Get. King for decades gave upwards of 300 concerts a year, racking up 15 Grammy awards.
But King’s fans noticed last year that some performances were increasingly erratic, and he cancelled remaining dates in October after falling ill at a show in Chicago.