Tuesday is Blues Day (#10)

It's been a good long while since I posted one of these. Well, given his recent hospitalization (he's since been discharged) I've had B.B. King on my mind a fair amount of late. Talking about his place in the blues world in any kind of detail is really too massive a topic for a lone blog post, though. He's widely considered to be the greatest blues musician of all time. Further, there's a case to be made that he's the most important guitarist of the 20th century. Numerous books and documentary films have covered his life and achievements, a notably good and recent example being B.B. King: The Life of Riley. I'd highly recommend it if you have an interest in music history.

Since this is just a short blog post and not a massive biographical volume, I'll reflect on his career in my own more succinct way, through his music. Below I've linked three versions of his first hit single, 3 O'Clock Blues. First, there's the original 1950 studio cut. Second, there's a live performance from B.B. as a mature blues master. Finally, a duet from the 2000 album Riding With The King, recorded by Eric Clapton and 75-year-old elder statesman B.B. King, just one of many examples of legendary guitarists paying tribute to the king of the blues. Enjoy.