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That's why he named it Lucille. It'd have been a bit awkward had he named it Bob. *^)
Posted on 02/16/2005 8:11:04 AM PST by bourbon
Blues great B.B. King says he had never set foot in the Mississippi Capitol until Tuesday. Once he arrived, he got a grand welcome.
The state House and Senate declared Tuesday to be B.B. King Day.
During a standing-room-only ceremony in the Senate chamber, lawmakers and Gov. Haley Barbour honored the 79-year-old Delta native whose hits include "The Thrill is Gone.''
King pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away tears.
"I never learned to talk very well without Lucille,'' King said, speaking of his black Gibson guitar. "But today, I'm trying to say only God knows how I feel. I am so happy. Thank you.''
Outside the Senate chamber, King was mobbed by fans seeking autographs and pictures. He graciously indulged the requests, even signing a candy-apple red Fender electric guitar for Ben Thompson, chief of staff for Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck.
"Signing guitars that are not Gibson is like being married and kissing a woman who is not your wife,'' the blues man said with a smile.
Arkansas Lt. Gov. Winthrop Paul Rockefeller was at the Mississippi Capitol during the ceremony, and stayed to get a picture made with King.
The singer and invited guests were treated to lunch at the Governor's Mansion.
During an after-lunch interview in his limousine, King said his home state, which once struggled with racial oppression, has made "night and day'' changes over the decades.
"I feel like the prodigal son and they have killed the fattest calf,'' he said. "I am having the time of my life. I thought when I got married it was the happiest time. I thought when I had my first child it was the happiest time. Those were great times.
"This has been the most beautiful day of my life.''
He said the last time he cried was at Ray Charles' funeral.
"That was tears of sorrow,'' King said. "Today, it was tears of joy.''
Riley B. King was born Sept. 16, 1925, on a cotton plantation in Berclair, outside Itta Bena. He earned the nickname "B.B.'' - for Beale Street Blues Boy or just Blues Boy - during his early career in Memphis, Tenn.
King has earned 13 Grammy awards and has been inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has sold more than 40 million records worldwide, and Barbour said there are "more to come - because the thrill is not gone.''
The resolutions are Senate Concurrent Resolution 534 and House Concurrent Resolution 65.
He can "tremelo" a note like no other. Beautiful.
I thought he gave the original Lucille to the Pope a few years ago.
That's why he named it Lucille. It'd have been a bit awkward had he named it Bob. *^)
If you don't mind the $29.00, his DVD set of the Crossroads Guitar Festivel is money well spent! Has guests from all musical pursuations. Including B.B. Clapton does an incredible set with Carlos Satana (Jingo) that will just blow you away. Regards.
Very neat story, wardaddy.
How fun for you and your dad.
This is great!
How many 'Rat Governors honored this
wonderful and talented man?
I am thrilled that Haley did this.
BB more than deserves the honor.
"But BB is Black
How can this be be."
LOL! Too funny. ;o)
Well at least WD isn't kin to subject matter this time. :>)
ROTFLOL!
I just saw "Ray" this weekend. Ray got the same honor with Georgia - you wonder if someone in MS saw the movie and said "Hey, we should do this for B.B."?
That is nonsense. He is not my favorite but his fame is well deserved. You think he could play in two of the greatest groups ever put together with minimal talent? Or have a string of hits across five decades with minimal talent when the entertainment industry chews up the untalented and spits them out very rapidly.
That has got to be one of the most ridiculous comments ever posted on FR.
No one can. Not even John McCauglin.
He is limited to Lawrence Welk.
Excellent point. He seems to have a really great attitude which has served him very well in life.
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He's certainly had more sorrow than anyone deserves
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True. I don't dislike the guy, but calling anything he's ever done "blues" is disgraceful.
And he owes me $8.
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when the entertainment industry chews up the untalented and spits them out very rapidly.
<<
Jennifer Lopez. Britanny Spears. P Diddy. Michael Bolton. The four most successful "entertainers" of the last five years.
You don't get out much, do you?
Michael Bolton is far from being one of the four most popular entertainers of the last five years or P Diddy either, maybe you meant top 400. P Diddy is not even the most popular rapper and I haven't heard him so I can't say anything about his talent but don't believe him to be as good as Biggie Smalls for one.
I spoke of FIVE DECADES wrt Clapton not five years and you seem to confuse talent with what YOU like, Bolton's type of music is not my taste but is about as good as most of the pleasant kind. JLO and Brittainy have talent just because I don't like them much doesn't make them untalented. Besides much of their "talent" is being nice to look at. JLO certainly isn't as talented as her new hubbie, Marc Anthony.
Apparently you don't get out as much as you think.
Look, LO, I wasn't flaming anyone. But Clapton does not compare favorably to B.B. King, who the story was about. Get the chip off.
The four I mentioned are, indeed, the highest grossing acts in the last five years. They are all billionaires and are extremely popular. And extremely untalented -- and they don't, by the way, hold a candle to Mr Clapton. The entertainment industry is mostly peopled with mediocrity.
But on Clapton's best day he couldn't hang with Mr King or Blind Willie McTell. But they'd probably like him just the same.
Someone forgot to tell BB since he records with Clapton and has toured with him.
Blind Willie played the acoustic and thus a totally different kind of music though Clapton has recorded acoustic too. But Blind Willie in the Yardbirds or the Cream LoL. In fact, Clapton's strong suit is he CAN play hard rock, electric blues, acoustic blues, in groups and solo. Only John McCaughlin has such a variety of styles.
Here's a highly compressed .mp3 (1.8 MB) of an instrumental from the CD, B.B. King - Blues On The Bayou.
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