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B.B. King

Source: Photo by Larry Busacca / Getty

A legend is lost. Bluesman B.B. King is dead at the age of 89. King was one of the last of the elder statesmen of the blues, coming from the same generation that produced Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy and John Lee Hooker. He was born in 1925 on a plantation in Mississippi, and went from playing for dimes on street corners to some of the biggest stages in the world. King is listed at number six on “Rolling Stone’s” list of the 100 best guitarists.

His soloing style was distinctive, and marked by short bursts of perfect, clean phrases from his beloved guitar, “Lucille.” He remained active late into his life but had recently been under hospice care at his home in Las Vegas. King was a common sight on TV commercials and toured until health problems forced him to take time off from the stage.