(February 10, 2026) Wow! It’s a lineup that’s fit for a King. Blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa put together an All-Star lineup of musicians and singers to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Riley B. “B.B.” King. Bonamassa found artists from the world of jazz, R&B, rock, country — and, of course, the blues – to play some of the pride of Indianola, Mississippi’s greatest hits for the tribute album B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100.
We are in the midst of King’s centennial year. He was born on Sept. 16, 1925. Bonamassa did not want the centennial of the Blues legend to come and go unremarked and unrecognized. “We figured out that nobody was really doing a tribute record to him. It wasn’t really on anyone’s radar, so in January of 2025, we decided to start the B.B. King Blues Summit 100 album,” Bonamassa said.
He recruited some heavy hitters. Buddy Guy, fresh off his performance in the Oscar nominated film “Sinners,” plays on “Sweet Little Angel.” Other performers include George Benson, Trombone Shorty, Slash, Keb Mo and Bobby Rush.
Many of the people who appear on B. B. King’s Blues Summit 100 played live or recorded with the master. That’s the case with soul royalty Chaka Khan and guitar god Eric Clapton, the pair who team up on the rendition of “The Thrill is Gone” that’s featured on this First Listen. Clapton and King recorded the album Riding with the King in 2000, while Khan shared a stage with King in 1987 and 1993.
Both artists put their unique stamp on the definitive version of the recording that earned King a major hit and a Grammy Award in 1970. Khan displays her impressive vocal range while Clapton’s creativity on the six string is still topflight. Check out Chaka Khan and Eric Clapton on “The Thrill is Gone” here.
By Howard Dukes
