From the S&S archives:
Fans love it when B.B. sings the blues

When blues legend B.B. King and Lucille, his trademark electric guitar, played the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Germany, it wasn't a question of whether the audience would enjoy the show.

As King's eight-piece band continued playing an encore of his signature hit, The Thrill Is Gone, the man affectionately crowned "King of the Blues" was signing autographs and handing out souvenirs while the crowd remained on its feet clamoring for more.

When King finally left the stage after more than 14 songs, fans in the near-capacity audience had only tasted a sample of his brand of polished, down-home blues.

It's amazing how a 68-year-old performer, who still plays more than 270 shows a year, can maintain the energy and love for performing that King brings to his concerts. But he does. And he still is one of the few performers who actually sounds as good or better live as he does in his recordings.

In Frankfurt, Lucille moaned in pleasure as King stroked her chords and ran the gamut of facial distortions and sweet soundin' vocals on several of his classic hits such as Caldonia, How Blue Can You Get? Rock Me Baby and Nobody Loves Me but My Mother.

"There are two sides to the blues, the negative and the positive," King told the audience as he sat down midway through the show and gave his "mini-lecture on the blues" during a medley of old hits.

He also played a few tunes from the collection of duets on his 1993 CD, Blues Summit, such as Playin' With My Friends and We're Gonna Make It.

If there were any sour notes during King's show it was the quick rendition of one of his oldies but goodies, You Made Your Move Too Soon, and his not playing anything from the critically acclaimed soundtrack for the 1985 movie, Into the Night.

However, with a career that has spanned at least four decades, King can't help but leave his fans hungering for more. "If people stopped buying my records and supporting my concerts," he said, "I'd go home."