B.B. King, known across the world as the “King of Blues,” died Thursday night at his home in Las Vegas. He was 89.
The Blues legend was a 15-time Grammy winner, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush. With a musical career that spanned 50 albums over the decades, King’s passing touched musicians, activists, politicians, and actors from Gladys Knight to Rep. Barbara Lee to Forrest Whitaker.
Take a look at the sea of reactions honoring King’s life on Twitter and Instagram:
BB, anyone could play a thousand notes and never say what you said in one. #RIP #BBKing pic.twitter.com/YvZYH8hyJE
— Lenny Kravitz (@LennyKravitz) May 15, 2015RIP #BBKing… One of the true greats. pic.twitter.com/S4M7XsycLU
— The Band Perry (@thebandperry) May 15, 2015An international treasure, a conduit for culture & a personal friend.He made #blues an art form. RIP #BBKing #Lucille pic.twitter.com/YgYYBJwHP7
— Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) May 15, 2015Rest in Peace to the Greatest Blues Musician Ever #BBKing #Legend pic.twitter.com/8s0Ywoc3XT
— Steve Harvey Nation (@IAmSteveHarvey) May 15, 2015B.B. we'll miss you..
"The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away from me
Although, I'll still live on
But so lonely I'll be"
#BBKing
— Forest Whitaker (@ForestWhitaker) May 15, 2015%3Cblockquote%20class%3D%22instagram-media%22%20data-instgrm-captioned%20data-instgrm-version%3D%224%22%20style%3D%22%20background%3A%23FFF%3B%20border%3A0%3B%20border-radius%3A3px%3B%20box-shadow%3A0%200%201px%200%20rgba%280%2C0%2C0%2C0.5%29%2C0%201px%2010px%200%20rgba%280%2C0%2C0%2C0.15%29%3B%20margin%3A%201px%3B%20max-width%3A658px%3B%20padding%3A0%3B%20width%3A99.375%25%3B%20width%3A-webkit-calc%28100%25%20-%202px%29%3B%20width%3Acalc%28100%25%20-%202px%29%3B%22%3E%3Cdiv%20style%3D%22padding%3A8px%3B%22%3E%20%3Cdiv%20style%3D%22%20background%3A%23F8F8F8%3B%20line-height%3A0%3B%20margin-top%3A40px%3B%20padding%3A50%25%200%3B%20text-align%3Acenter%3B%20width%3A100%25%3B%22%3E%20%3Cdiv%20style%3D%22%20background%3Aurl%28data%3Aimage%2Fpng%3Bbase64%2CiVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr%2BJQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf%2F%2F42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx%2BiZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB%2FlQPb79drWOyJVa%2FDAvg9B%2FrLB4cC%2BNqgdz%2FTvBbBnr6GBReqn%2FnRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF%2BY2I%2FfZou%2FqAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC%29%3B%20display%3Ablock%3B%20height%3A44px%3B%20margin%3A0%20auto%20-44px%3B%20position%3Arelative%3B%20top%3A-22px%3B%20width%3A44px%3B%22%3E%3C%2Fdiv%3E%3C%2Fdiv%3E%20%3Cp%20style%3D%22%20margin%3A8px%200%200%200%3B%20padding%3A0%204px%3B%22%3E%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Finstagram.com%2Fp%2F2tLzAyTFoM%2F%22%20style%3D%22%20color%3A%23000%3B%20font-family%3AArial%2Csans-serif%3B%20font-size%3A14px%3B%20font-style%3Anormal%3B%20font-weight%3Anormal%3B%20line-height%3A17px%3B%20text-decoration%3Anone%3B%20word-wrap%3Abreak-word%3B%22%20target%3D%22_top%22%3ERiley%20B.%20King%2C%20courtesy%20John%20Jennings.%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%20%3Cp%20style%3D%22%20color%3A%23c9c8cd%3B%20font-family%3AArial%2Csans-serif%3B%20font-size%3A14px%3B%20line-height%3A17px%3B%20margin-bottom%3A0%3B%20margin-top%3A8px%3B%20overflow%3Ahidden%3B%20padding%3A8px%200%207px%3B%20text-align%3Acenter%3B%20text-overflow%3Aellipsis%3B%20white-space%3Anowrap%3B%22%3EA%20photo%20posted%20by%20Mark%20Anthony%20Neal%20%28%40bookerbbbrown%29%20on%20%3Ctime%20style%3D%22%20font-family%3AArial%2Csans-serif%3B%20font-size%3A14px%3B%20line-height%3A17px%3B%22%20datetime%3D%222015-05-15T14%3A31%3A13%2B00%3A00%22%3EMay%2015%2C%202015%20at%207%3A31am%20PDT%3C%2Ftime%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3C%2Fdiv%3E%3C%2Fblockquote%3E%0D%0A%3Cscript%20async%20defer%20src%3D%22%2F%2Fplatform.instagram.com%2Fen_US%2Fembeds.js%22%3E%3C%2Fscript%3E’
Curious fact that any time we lose a person who sings the Blues, as we just did in #BBKing, the World becomes a sadder place.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) May 15, 2015What a brilliant man you were. One who will forever be noted as such an inspiration to millions globally, RIP #BBKing http://t.co/9G8NEYTmBT
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— Gladys Knight (@MsGladysKnight) May 15, 2015
When I heard B.B. King for the first time he was singing The Thrill Is Gone. The way he played & sang brought tears to my eyes. #RIPBBKing
— Kelly Clarkson (@kelly_clarkson) May 15, 2015
RIP to a Blues Legend… B.B. King
— Sugar Ray Leonard (@SugarRayLeonard) May 15, 2015
Very sad. BB KING: Rest In Peace.. http://t.co/VHNZhg6H2l
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) May 15, 2015
My friend and ledgend BB King passed.. I'm so so sad….he was so great to me… We've lost the King….. My love and prayers to his family.
— RICHIE SAMBORA (@TheRealSambora) May 15, 2015
We mourn the loss of B.B. King, who taught us his favorite letter through his love of music. https://t.co/ZfmQi1cBqg pic.twitter.com/3hdFcymdqu
— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) May 15, 2015
Alicia Maule