From the archives: Legendary blues guitarist B.B. King plays Massey Hall
Legendary blues guitarist and singer B.B. King and Lucille (his treasured Gibson guitar) perform at Massey Hall on Oct. 10, 2013.
A marquee attraction since 1949, when his cover of Lowell Fulsom’s Three O’Clock Blues sold more than one-million copies and stayed on the American R&B chart for 18 weeks, B.B. King’s iconic initials stand for “Blues Boy.”Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
A sold-out Massey Hall in Toronto was filled to the rafters for the world’s most recognizable blues artist and his signature, semi-hollow Gibson ES-355, a variant of his original Lucille.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
A left-hand vibrato like no other.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Rock Me Baby was a jaunty shuffle, with King’s bristly toned chord fills and riffs filling the spaces left open by his eight-piece band. A sing-along version of You Are My Sunshine followed.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Fans had waited outside the hall for autographs, hoping for the charismatic Mississippian to sign items such as this British import LP, Lucille Had a Baby.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Known for his stage banter, King was his usual grandfatherly self at Massey. At one point he mentioned a Ford Model-A and then wondered aloud if anyone in the audience knew the reference. He is 88 years old.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
“Take it way down,” he told his band, “like you’re stealing something.” The Thrill is Gone, the haunting crossover hit from 1969, was followed by Sweet Sixteen, from a decade earlier.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
King spotted a fan in the front row with an acoustic guitar. “I thought I had competition,” he joked. But he had no rivals. Later he would autograph the guitar.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
“I ain’t tired,” he protested. “I wish I could go on.” King’s performance was charismatic, but erratic and short.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
King talked as much as he sang or played his instrument. Some of the skill is gone.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
After an up-tempo reworking of When Love Comes to Town and the finale When the Saints Go Marching In, King departed to his tour bus. Next stop: Kitchener, Ont. – have guitar will travel.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail