It no longer is Sunday, but I want to participate in this week’s Song Lyric Sunday so I’m going to! This week we were asked to write about a band we heard at a recent concert. The last concert I attended was on March 3, 2014. At that time I went to hear BB King at the Moore Theater in Seattle. He was 88 years-old at the time.
The opening band was Ayron Jones and the Way. The young people in the crowd went wild with joy as he played. Al and the friends that we went with loved his music too, but it just wasn’t for me. A few minutes ago, I listened to one of his songs on YouTube: Baptized in Muddy Waters. I know the music is good, and I love his voice; it just isn’t a style of music I enjoy listening to.
After Ayron Jones finished, BB King’s band played numerous songs. At one point, BB King walked on stage and sat down. He seemed very old and weak. He played his guitar a little and sang a couple of lines of The Thrill is Gone, but for the most part, he just talked to us. I sensed that I was sitting at the feet of a great Master and felt extremely honored to have that privilege. He died on May 14, 2015.
I could say much more about BB King but I’ve decided to let his music speak for him. I chose a video from a concert that he did along with Eric Clapton. I don’t know what year that concert occurred, but BB King’s hair was gray and how he looks on the video reminds me of the man that I experienced that night in 2014.
The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away
The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away
You know you done me wrong
And you’ll be sorry someday
The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away from me
The thrill is gone
TheIt’s gone away from me
Though I’ll still live on
But so lonely I’ll be
The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away for good
The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away for good
Someday I’ll be over it all
Like I know a good man should
I’m free baby
Free from your spell
I’m free, free baby
Free from your spell
Now that it’s all over
All I can do is wish you well
Now it’s all over
All I can do is wish you well
Living, Learning and Letting Go 
Great tribute to a great artist!
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Good choice. You can’t beat those blues songs.
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I agree.
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Ayron Jones opened for the Jeff Beck concert I posted about. Had the same response to him as you but man does he have a huge local following. I think as many folks were there to see him as Jeff Beck.
Makes me want to explore him further!?
Gotta love some BB!! So glad to have seen him live a few years back I think at the Showbox maybe. Outstanding. This is James’ favorite kind of music!! What he likes to play best!!
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There was no doubt that the majority of people who were at the BB King concert were there to see Ayron Jones. I remember being very annoyed by how many young people spent the BB King portion reading their email and sending texts. The lights of their cell phones were so distracting. During Ayron’s part of the concerts they were standing up and taking photos. I’m glad to know that James’ loves to play BB King’s style of music. I look forward to hearing him someday.
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What a great post!!! Just love BB King. I think I saw this concert on tv, John Mayer plays later which is another great musician and singer.
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That must have been an amazing concert.
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It was pretty much when I discovered John Mayer
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BB King is wonderful and it’s so gratifying to see his respect and support of the younger musicians and most especially, to see their respect of him. We don’t have many elders in our society, don’t make room for them. (Elder in the sense of a respected older person who is recognized and who recognizes him/herself as an elder.) I remember the first elder I met, from Kenya, and I recognized her immediately as such, and recognized at the same time that my own culture does not *have* elders. Maybe a subculture such as the arts does have more room for elders, but not much in the world I live in.
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Very true. May that change in the future.
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Great choice! I didn’t get much into BB King, but I can sure appreciate his skill as a musician. I also think your story is amazing. The thing I love about concerts is that you can almost imagine that you are alone in that concert hall with just you and the band and they are singing or speaking directly to you. It sounds like a magical concert.
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Thanks so much for sharing!
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I appreciate having the opportunity to remember and share that experience. I love your weekly prompt.
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I’m so happy you like it. I enjoy each week more and more! 😉
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I don’t know much of anything about music after the 70’s but it’s given me the opportunity to reconnect with my past.
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😉
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