Posted in: Blues by Lakendra Lewis on November 23rd, 2008 | 5 Comments
Blues legend B.B. King played to a nearly sold-out crowd on Tuesday in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Selena Bayfront Auditorium.
I recently had the good fortune to be among a couple of thousand other Blues lovers who packed into the American Bank Center on Tuesday night to see legendary blues man B.B. King perform before a nearly sold-out crowd in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Selena Bayfront Auditorium.
It is not often that an ordinary person like myself gets to meet someone who is referred to as a “legend,” but there are times when being a freelance writer has its privileges.
That and sometimes, God simply smiles and says, “yes.”
King, who last performed in Corpus Christi, Texas four years ago, was met with thunderous applause as he took to the stage for a two-hour set that spanned a career of six decades in music.
“Thank you, I’m glad to be back,” King, 83, said during the show. “You have a beautiful facility.”
Blues legend B.B. King performs a guitar solo during a concert to commemorate the 30th
Anniversary of the Selena Bayfront Auditorium on Nov. 18th in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The King of the Blues came bearing gifts for his loyal subjects, tossing out personalized pins and guitar picks to the front of the stage for anyone lucky or ambitious enough to get within the first few rows. I was one of the lucky ones.
“You know, a few years ago, they started calling me a legend,” King joked with the crowd. “And I had to go to the dictionary to look up what that meant.”
Whatever Webster’s definition, King proved that a legend doesn’t have to behave badly simply because he is one. To my great delight, the man was anything but haughty about his musical status, remaining friendly, approachable and unaffected both during and after the concert.
In fact, when the show was over, King tossed out more trinkets to the crowd and we made eye contact. Like any good reporter (and fan that I am), I quickly seized my opportunity and asked him if he would take a picture with me. He graciously agreed and even asked me if I would like a picture of him, which he autographed when he realized I hadn’t brought anything of my own for him to sign. I was honored. Naturally, I accepted the photo.
Leslie M. November 23rd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Nice review, sounds like it was a good show!
Marc November 23rd, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Cool, I love BB.
Robin McNaueal November 23rd, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Wish I could have gone, but thanks for a great review! A legend to be sure…
Brenda Revett November 24th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Lakendra….I like your style of writing…the reader just flows through it like a good song lyric…Way to go…I can’t believe King is 83 and still going strong. And I can’t believe Selena Auditoriumis 30 years old either…Oh, my am I getting old too..
Blessings and keep at it.
ron January 27th, 2009 at 4:08 am
BB King is coming to New Orleans House of Blues. Ticket prices are $125, but the venue will have far fewer seats, er, standing area, than a huge arena, so it will like BB King will be playing in our living room! Rolling Stone ranks BB King as the 3rd best guitar player of all time. How often can you get this close to someone with that much talent, history, and passion?