If you go
B.B. King with Buddy Guy
Where: DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW
When: 8 p.m. Thursday
Info: $70; ticketmaster.com
It’s been more than four decades since Riley B. King — better known to the world as B.B. King — burst onto the blues scene. On this tour, King joins forces with another member of the elite old-school blues men Buddy Guy. If reviews of this tour are reliable, the concert is a feast for those that love the musical magic of old-style blues.
“I tried. I’d like for them to think that I tried, because I did. I believe I’m just ordinary,” King told Brian Hiatt of Rolling Stone magazine when asked what legacy he hoped to leave. “And I’d like for people to think of me that way, as just a guy that tried. Wanted to be loved by other people because he loved people.”
Of all the esteemed guitar players, King has always been known for his modesty and lack of flash. When he started playing the blues when standing in Mississippi street corners, his talent and enthusiasm were so high that passers-by would toss dimes to him.
Now a national institution, King declines most interviews and lets his playing do the talking for him. He’s repeatedly said that as long as he maintains his health and popularity, he’ll continue to perform.
It’s likely not a surprise that the original blues man prefers blues and gospel to other genres, but don’t think he’s a musical isolationist. He told the Associated Press that he listens to all types of music including popular modern performers. And during the Rolling Stone interview, he seems humbled by their adoration of him.
“Well, I was watching TV one night, and the lead singer of the Beatles — John Lennon — said he wished he could play like B.B. King. I almost fell out of my chair. And that started me to thinking, ‘God, what am I doing? The greatest group on Earth, and the guy is saying that to me?,'” reported Rolling Stone. “I tried not to let it go to my head. But I sure thought about it. That was like Jesus Christ coming down and saying, ‘Yeah, B., you’re pretty good.'”
“I am happy to see them. It’s their time in life,” King said in the Associated Press interview. “It’s time for them to make history for themselves. I’m proud of them.”
