The Thrill is Gone

(An epitaphany shared with Don)

Or

You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me – Lucille

Or

How Blue Can You Get

BB King, best remembered as Malvern Gasperon in Blues Brothers 2000, has died at the age of 89 of complications of Alzheimer’s disease, congestive heart failure and diabetes, according to a very indecisive coroner. One of the most influential blues musicians of all time, King was renowned for his distinctive solos on guitar that featured fluid string bending and shimmering vibrato, a style born out of his inability to learn chords early in his career. Well, distinctive until a bunch of white guys started ripping him off. King was also known for his tireless touring, with more than 200 dates a year into his 70s, often flying himself to his gigs. Unlike many of his fellow bluesmen, he was especially noteworthy for actually showing up for his performances. One of those tours took him to Twist, Arkansas, where two men started fighting and caused a fire. King evacuated, but returned to rescue his guitar. The men, who died in the fire, had been fighting over a women named Lucille. He then named that guitar Lucille as a reminder not to fight over women or run into burning buildings. Though he had two failed marriages, King also fathered at least 15 children to a plethora of women, making one wonder what he was so blue about.