He was born Riley B. King to Mississippi sharecroppers in 1925. But his legacy will forever be known as B.B. King, a pioneer for jazz and blues musicians everywhere. King died Thursday evening at the age of 89 at his home in Las Vegas.

His simple but soulful guitar licks and smooth vocals would influence an entire generation of jazz and blues musicians like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and John Mayer. King struggled to sing and play guitar at the same time, so he created his own style by laying down the vocals first and following it with an extended guitar solo, a model that would become a standard in rock and blues for years to come.

His guitar, a black Gibson hollow-body he named ‘Lucille,’ became one of the most iconic musical instruments in all of popular music. He was nominated for Grammy Awards 15 times and is often ranked among the best guitarists of all time, in any genre.

How big was B.B. King’s impact on jazz and blues music? How do we still hear B.B.’s influence in modern rock and blues? Where does B.B. rank among the greatest guitarists of all time? How will you remember B.B. King?

Guests:

Barbara Morrison, a three-time Grammy-nominated jazz and blues singer. She has performed with many music legends, including Etta James, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, and Tony Bennett. She also owns and operates the Barbara Morrison Performance Arts Center here in L.A., and is an adjunct assistant professor of jazz performance and vocals in the Department of Ethnomusicology at UCLA’s Alpert School of Music.