B.B. King: Ringo Starr, Justin Timberlake, Big K.R.I.T. & More Remember the Legend

"B. B. King influenced everyone in this band, and on a much wider spectrum, rock, blues and jazz. Every guitarist studied B. B.'s playing style, and singers of every genre studied his voice. He is a legend that leaves a legacy of great music and hard work we can only aspire to. He was an incredible man! Gonna miss you B. The music world is a poorer place for your passing."
-- Tom Johnston of The Doobie Brothers 

 

R. I. P. B. B. King.

A photo posted by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) on May 14, 2015 at 11:02pm PDT

"The Blues lost its best friend with the loss of B.B. King, and the music world lost a giant. I was privileged to have worked with B.B. many times over the years and he was not just a remarkable artist, he was one of the sweetest men I've ever met. He united multiple generations with a love for the blues, and I will always recall the joy he would bring to audiences and fellow musicians alike when they were lucky enough to be in his presence. When he said 'I'll play the Blues for You,' he meant it. He enriched the lives and the music of every artist he came into contact with, and it's through his influence and his inspiration that his music will continue to be heard."
-- Ken Ehrlich, ep of the Grammys

"B.B. was not only the king of Blues; he was a real king, a gracious man and leader. No one will ever replace him. I will always cherish the time that I had with B.B. King. He was such an important part of my life. Hanging out with B.B., going on tour with him, going to the White House together, and having conversations are experiences we shared that can never be replaced."
-- Keb' Mo'

"Devastated by the passing of BB King. My favorite blues guitarist. & a truly wonderful man. RIP BB"
-- Slash via Facebook

"So sad about B.B. King passing away he was the first of the great Chicago Blues players I was able to see perform live when I was a kid. B.B. was one of the nicest men you'd ever want to meet and his music was a great influence on me and countless others. His music will live on for forever."
-- Joe Perry via Facebook

What a sad day, and a monumental loss. BB King's life was in and of itself a time capsule, and a yardstick for modern music history, most of which played out under his watch. Some people, they seem to hold a certain governing time and space together, and when they pass, you just know the facts, the recollections, the details...they're left to fend for themselves. But the facts about BB will never fade: he was a pioneer in the inception of electric blues music and he was its grand ambassador generations later. He will forever inspire guitar players to argue (successfully) that less is more, that heart will always win over mind. Whenever your heart hurts and you don't know if you have it in you right then and there to make sense of it, put on some B.B. King and feel what happens. Today, B.B.'s music is going to do something it's never done before: help us through the blues we have from losing him. Goodbye, B... John

A photo posted by johnmayer (@johnmayer) on May 15, 2015 at 11:09am PDT