B.B. King, King of the Blues, Dies at 89

Blues pioneer and legendary guitarist B.B. King died peacefully in his sleep at 9:40 pm on May 14 at the age of 89, according to his website.

On May 1, a message from B.B. was posted that said, “I am in home hospice care at my residence in Las Vegas. Thanks to all for your well wishes and prayers.”

Riley B. King was known as one of the greatest guitarist of all time. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

“The Thrill is Gone” singer won 15 Grammy awards over his eight-decade music career, and inspired generations of musicians, including U2 and Eric Clapton.

“There are not many left who play in the pure way that B.B. did,” Eric Clapton said in a video posted to Facebook. “He was a beacon for all of us that love this kind of music. I thank him from the bottom of my heart.”

Clapton and King recorded “Riding with the King” together, which won a Grammy for Best Blues Album in 2000.

More tributes poured in from Ringo Starr, Richie Sambora, Hugh Laurie, Gene Simmons, and Lenny Kravitz.

Kravitz tweeted: “BB, anyone could play a thousand notes and never say what you said in one. RIP BB King," while Bryan Adams added similar sentiments: "RIP BB King, one of the best blues guitarists ever, maybe the best. He could do more on one note than anyone."