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B.B. King Heckled At Performance.

#221
Edward G. said:
Sorta reminds me of seeing Johnny Winter about 10 years ago. Only one of a few live professional performances I didn't watch until the end. No fuel in the tank whatsoever. Sorry to hear the great B.B. King didn't know when it was time to exit gracefully.
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Huh,

I saw Johnny Winter about 6 maybe 7 years ago at a relatively small theater. His band warmed up the crowd with about three really solid tunes and then they brought out a chair, and Johnny. He was slumped over two guys shoulders as they carried him out and sat him in the chair and then put his guitar in his lap. I immediately though that it was the "one last tour before I die" type of deal but man was I wrong. Sure he had lost some of his luster from the 70's (happens to everyone), but man the guy could still play some pretty mean and pretty fast stuff on his guitar! I left impressed.
 
#222
keiththebassist said:
Huh,

I saw Johnny Winter about 6 maybe 7 years ago at a relatively small theater. His band warmed up the crowd with about three really solid tunes and then they brought out a chair, and Johnny. He was slumped over two guys shoulders as they carried him out and sat him in the chair and then put his guitar in his lap. I immediately though that it was the "one last tour before I die" type of deal but man was I wrong. Sure he had lost some of his luster from the 70's (happens to everyone), but man the guy could still play some pretty mean and pretty fast stuff on his guitar! I left impressed.
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Apparently, he's really turned things around in recent years: http://www.jpost.com/Arts-and-Culture/Entertainment/A-new-spring-for-Johnny-Winter-314645
 
#223
I was fortunate to see Freddie King several times in the early 70's before his untimely death. I've seen BB, Albert, Buddy, and many other great blues shows over the years. As great as they were, for me, Freddie's were my favorite.
 
#226
GregC said:
Apparently, he's really turned things around in recent years: http://www.jpost.com/Arts-and-Culture/Entertainment/A-new-spring-for-Johnny-Winter-314645
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Nice article! That's very encouraging. I'm glad to hear he's doing better. I saw him several times in the early '70s, and they were some of my favorite concerts. And my brother-in-law and I spent many a night cruising around with Muddy Waters' "Hard Again" blasting in the tape deck! (Johnny, "Steady Rollin'" Bob Margolin, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, and Pinetop Perkins were also on that album...) And I still enjoy playing along with some of J.W.'s albums from that time period.
 
#227
Bluesman apologizes for St. Louis concert gone bad
image001-png_162613.png

April 16, 2014 12:10 PM

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Blues guitarist B.B. King wants his St. Louis fans to give him another chance after an erratic performance led to a stream of audience catcalls and early departures.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer issued a public apology on Tuesday for what his publicists called "a bad night for one of America's living blues legends."

The written statement says King, 88, and his band had returned from a four-week break before the April 4 show at the Peabody Opera House. The band drove straight to eastern Missouri from Las Vegas, a 24-hour, 1,600-mile trip each way. And King missed his daily dosage of diabetes medicine, which elevated his blood sugar.

"The combination of the rigors of the very long drive and high blood sugar due to his medication error resulted in a performance that did not match Mr. King's usual standard of excellence," reads the statement, which was issued on behalf of King by the St. Louis venue. "Mr. King apologizes and humbly asks for the understanding of his fans."

Concertgoers said King's rambling set featured just a handful of complete songs amid meandering musical snippets, long-winded soliloquies, an 8-piece backup band that missed its cues and a 15-minute sing-along of "You Are My Sunshine."
 
#228
This story reminds me of Freddie Hubbard's last days and a review of one his concerts. All his fans knew his lip was blown out 15 years before yet he was on the road introducing the songs he wrote and adding a little piano while the young lions took the heavy load. I remember thinking how brave he was.

Perhaps because of the mega success of The Thrill Is Gone B.B. King is drawing a crowd outside of that supportive audience who would gladly pay to hear him introduce his songs while a band did the heavy lifting as they pay many old singing groups like The Temptations who may have one original member but still tour with three or four young men singing the old hits
 
#229
ArtechnikA said:
Bluesman apologizes for St. Louis concert gone bad
image001-png_162613.png

April 16, 2014 12:10 PM

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Blues guitarist B.B. King wants his St. Louis fans to give him another chance after an erratic performance led to a stream of audience catcalls and early departures.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer issued a public apology on Tuesday for what his publicists called "a bad night for one of America's living blues legends."

The written statement says King, 88, and his band had returned from a four-week break before the April 4 show at the Peabody Opera House. The band drove straight to eastern Missouri from Las Vegas, a 24-hour, 1,600-mile trip each way. And King missed his daily dosage of diabetes medicine, which elevated his blood sugar.

"The combination of the rigors of the very long drive and high blood sugar due to his medication error resulted in a performance that did not match Mr. King's usual standard of excellence," reads the statement, which was issued on behalf of King by the St. Louis venue. "Mr. King apologizes and humbly asks for the understanding of his fans."

Concertgoers said King's rambling set featured just a handful of complete songs amid meandering musical snippets, long-winded soliloquies, an 8-piece backup band that missed its cues and a 15-minute sing-along of "You Are My Sunshine."
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That's fair enough. At least he acknowledged the situation.

While I can understand him wanting to continue performing for as long as possible, I certainly can NOT understand why the schedule has to be so tough. At this stage of his life he has nothing to prove and is not stuck for a few dollars....I assume.

If he eased up on the touring schedule, it might make for better and enjoyable concerts for all concerned...not least Mr King himself.
 
#230
fearceol said:
That's fair enough. At least he acknowledged the situation.

While I can understand him wanting to continue performing for as long as possible, I certainly can NOT understand why the schedule has to be so tough. At this stage of his life he has nothing to prove and is not stuck for a few dollars....I assume.

If he eased up on the touring schedule, it might make for better and enjoyable concerts for all concerned...not least Mr King himself.
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yep.....without some kind of acknowledgement of this the apology rings hollow....nothing in it about making things better,just excuses.....
 
#231
I saw BB about 4 years a go and he was done, highlight was pissing in the urinal next to him... That said, it's not like I expected him to come out and have much left anyway, I got a great discount on the tickets so I figured it would be worth $30 to see him from ten feet away...backing band was good and BB would throw in a four note run and a bend here and there... it just was what is was... I saw a legend not a legendary performance, but a legend nonetheless.

I can't imagine ridiculing any old man in public is ever appropriate (not how I was raised), but I also can't imagine paying $200 for a ticket to see a 90 year old man and thinking you are going to get an epic performance... If somehow he did bust out a great performance then consider yourself lucky, if it's your expectation then you may need to spend some time around some older people to understand the capacity of most 90 year old people... let alone someone that has toured for more than 70 years.
 
#232
pacojas said:
am i the only one who has never liked BB King?:confused:
over-rated compared to the other countless blues artists. Bobby Bluebland, Freddie King, and that Ice Pick dude (whathisname) just killed it. not to mention the true innovators like Howlin' Wolf and them!
he may have been the commercial "Blue's Legend", but in the hood, not so much!:rollno:
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I happen to agree (although the Zaire concert is great).

He's like the U2 of blues artist in that his biggest redeeming quality has for a long time been to have simply outlasted his peers. His guitar playing is...well...meh.
 
#233
Jim Campbell said:
yep.....without some kind of acknowledgement of this the apology rings hollow....nothing in it about making things better,just excuses.....
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Then what WOULD be acceptable? Because frankly, your stance seems more like someone content to sit on their internet high horse, rather than looking at it practically from the stance of B.B. King himself or anyone involved in his business affairs, or from the standpoint of a human being with a level of empathy and understanding regarding the aging process and the toll it can take on a performer.
 
#235
Wow. This thread has gotten to the point where people now see fit to critique Mr. King's ability on guitar?

Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No. 6 on its 2011 list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time (previously ranked No. 3 in the 2003 edition of the same list), and he was ranked No. 17 in Gibson's "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". According to Edward M. Komara, King "introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending and shimmering vibrato that would influence virtually every electric blues guitarist that followed." King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He is considered one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, earning the nickname "The King of Blues", and one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert King and Freddie King). King is also known for performing tirelessly throughout his musical career appearing at 250-300 concerts per year until his seventies. In 1956 it was noted that he appeared at 342 shows. King continues to appear at 100 shows a year.
 
#237
ShoeManiac said:
Then what WOULD be acceptable? Because frankly, your stance seems more like someone content to sit on their internet high horse, rather than looking at it practically from the stance of B.B. King himself or anyone involved in his business affairs, or from the standpoint of a human being with a level of empathy and understanding regarding the aging process and the toll it can take on a performer.
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and what would the practicality be?....an old guy,with tons of cash and a huge career behind him ,traveling around on a schedule that would tax a forty year old,charging hundreds for a crap show,that even he admits is crap....

i could see it being practical if he was broke....he ain't.....

i could see it if he just wants to play.....but apparently he's not doing much of that at his shows either....

maybe gm could use your logic to defend themselves on the substandard ignition switches....after all they've been around a while and made some great cars....i guess they could be justified in charging top dollar for crap.....

i don't see any logic there dude....you like him...i get that ...i did too....but when you're done,you're done,and to run around the country selling crap for gold s only going to destroy any legacy he spent all those years building up....

here's something practical for you tho' ....if it is taking a toll on you because you're old....stop doing it....

it appears that you have loads of empathy for "past their sell by" performers,but little for those whose money affords them the opportunity to play music for a living .... instead of what the rest of us get to do.....
 

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