B.B. King Has Died

If you happen to be a person named Lucille (sidebar: how luck for you to have such a glamorous name), today is the day you call in sick to work and spend the day at your local Guitar Cente offering condolences to all the other Lucilles, for they have lost the wind beneath their strings.

According to a statement from his lawyer to the Associated Press (via TIME), blues legend – and that’s a deep understatement – B.B. King died peacefully in his sleep last night at 9:40 pm in Las Vegas. He was 89 years old. He leaves behind approximately 15 children, 50 grandchildren, and 9 B.B. King Blues Clubs.

B.B. King (born name: Riley B. King) bought his first guitar when he was 12 years old, and unlike most 12 year olds with a guitar (hangs head in shame), he practiced his ass off and got really good. So good that he became a mentor to people like Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Jimi Hendrix. B.B. King got the nickname “The King of Blues” because he pretty much owned blues music. I’m sure if you type the word “blues” into the internet, it comes back “Did you mean B.B. King?” His biggest hit was probably “The Thrill Is Gone“, which coincidentally also sums up this news about B.B.’s death.

I knew B.B. King for music, but I really knew B.B. King for his One Touch diabetes commercial that played after every episode of Maury.

I must have seen this commercial 500 times, and I never get sick of it. I will truly miss you and your gorgeous Magic Eye picture shirt, B.B. King. Rest in peace.

Pic: BB King