The Thrill is Gone :(

As you may have heard, the great B.B. King passed away yesterday, May 14th. He was 89, and I know he'd been suffering from diabetes and heart problems for a long time, so it's not really a shock. But it's still sad!

I think you'd be hard-pressed to find many people who DON'T know the name "B.B. King". His accomplishments are really too numerous to list! Countless awards and honors, and an incredibly successful career.

I actually got to see him play live a few years ago, with my dad and sister. He really did create magic with that guitar, Lucille! The way he played was effortless; it seemed as natural to him as breathing. His fingers lightly skimmed the smooth neck of the guitar, knowing just the right places to touch. He rocked his head back and forth, feeling the music flow. His voice was amazing, too. The perfect mix of sweet smoothness and gritty feeling. Almost the entire time he played, he had a smile on his face. There is no doubt that he did what he loved and loved what he did!

I didn't know he had died until I got to work today and my dad told me. He always has his Sirius radio playing on his computer and he had on a Blues channel that was playing only B.B. King, as a tribute. My Uncle Jeff and cousin, Brian, came back to the parts counter for a few minutes, and my dad found one of his favorite B.B. songs, one featuring Eric Clapton, and played it. During the song, we were all quiet, smiling. The guys all took off their hats and we listened together.

But even though B.B. King is now gone, his music certainly isn't. That's one of the amazing things about music- it will outlive us all! And not only will it live on, but it also evolves. New people hear it, get inspired, and come up with music of their own that is truly individual, yet leaves just a taste of the original behind.

For example! You may have already seen this, since I posted it on my Facebook a few weeks back. This is from the movie, "Amadeus"- the scene in which Mozart dictates his Requiem while Salieri records the music on paper.

This is a song by probably my all-time favorite band, Children of Bodom. They use some of the same music to create something new; something different.

B.B. King might be gone, but I'm sure future musicians will continue to view him as an inspiration for a very, very, very long time.

My condolences go out to Mr. King's friends and family! The whole world will miss the talented musician he was, but I'm sure it is nothing compared to losing the actual person he was- the father and friend.

Sarah