Bonnie Raitt, Chris Stapleton and Gary Clark Jr. helmed a six-string salute to blues great B.B. King with a performance of “The Thrill is Gone” at the 58th Grammy Awards Monday.
The breakout country star and blues hotshot opened the performance, trading vocals, and, more importantly, solos, before Raitt sidled in between them with a devastating slide-guitar run. The trio then each sang a line of the song’s final verse and made one last trip across the fretboard to bring “The Thrill is Gone” to a mournful close.
Per the Los Angeles Times, Stapleton — country’s breakout star of 2015 — was tapped for the tribute after Grammy telecast executive producer Ken Ehrlich saw a video of the singer covering “The Thrill is Gone” on YouTube. Raitt was then added to the performance at Stapleton’s suggestion.
King died last May at the age of 89. In a tribute penned for Rolling Stone, Raitt summed up the musician’s signature guitar style, which left an indelible mark across the musical spectrum: “Every great blues guitarist has his own style. But with B.B., it was about his vibrato, his phrasing and the licks he chose — and his restraint. It was all about what he played and what he didn’t play. He was sweet and eloquent in his playing, but when he turned it on, he could be fierce.”
Rock Me Baby Medley (B.B. King Tribute) – Joe Louis Walker/Guests – 1995 Kennedy Center Honors
GARY CLARK JR, BONNIE RAITT TALK ABOUT BB KING GRAMMY TRIBUTE
One overlooked tribute at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards last week was the tribute to the late BB King featurin Chris Stapleton, Bonnie Raitt, and Gary Clark Junior, and in this interview Raitt and Clark talk about the tribute, working with Chris Stapleton, and their interactions with the late great blues legend.
A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn (Trailer)
Recorded in Austin, Texas in 1995, A Tribute To Stevie Ray Vaughan is a live celebration of the celebrated modern blues guitarist featuring 10 electrifying performances by B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Dr. John and more.
Night Life – Bonnie Raitt & BB King – Live 1993 – Willie Nelson tribute
Lightning In A Bottle
On February 7, 2003, renowned artists across music genres and generations commandeered the stage at New York City”s Radio City Music Hall to pay tribute to their common heritage and passion: the blues. Shared with thousands of fans in attendance, legendary performers from the roots of rock, blues, jazz, and rap joined forces for a once-in-a-lifetime salute to the blues benefit concert whose proceeds went to musical education.
Rock Me Baby Medley (B.B. King Tribute) – Joe Louis Walker/Guests – 1995 Kennedy Center Honors
GARY CLARK JR, BONNIE RAITT TALK ABOUT BB KING GRAMMY TRIBUTE
One overlooked tribute at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards last week was the tribute to the late BB King featurin Chris Stapleton, Bonnie Raitt, and Gary Clark Junior, and in this interview Raitt and Clark talk about the tribute, working with Chris Stapleton, and their interactions with the late great blues legend.
A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn (Trailer)
Recorded in Austin, Texas in 1995, A Tribute To Stevie Ray Vaughan is a live celebration of the celebrated modern blues guitarist featuring 10 electrifying performances by B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Dr. John and more.
Night Life – Bonnie Raitt & BB King – Live 1993 – Willie Nelson tribute
Lightning In A Bottle
On February 7, 2003, renowned artists across music genres and generations commandeered the stage at New York City”s Radio City Music Hall to pay tribute to their common heritage and passion: the blues. Shared with thousands of fans in attendance, legendary performers from the roots of rock, blues, jazz, and rap joined forces for a once-in-a-lifetime salute to the blues benefit concert whose proceeds went to musical education.
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‘A Tribute To Mose Allison’ Celebrates The Music Of An Exciting Jazz Master
Raitt contributed to a new album, If You’re Going To The City: A Tribute To Mose Allison, which
celebrates the late singer and pianist, who famously blended the
rough-edged blues of the Mississippi Delta with the 1950s jazz of New
York City.
NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks to Bonnie Raitt about her friendship with the Mose Allison. They’re also joined by Amy Allison — his daughter, who executive produced the album — about selecting an unexpected list of artists to contribute songs to the album.
