On what would have been B.B. King’s 100th birthday, Joe Bonamassa has announced B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100, an extraordinary collaborative tribute album celebrating the legacy of the King of the Blues. Produced by Bonamassa and Josh Smith, the project arrives via KTBA Records and will roll out in monthly installments until February 2026.
The first five tracks, released today, feature Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Bobby Rush, George Benson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and D.K. Harrell. A total of 32 songs will be unveiled, culminating in a double CD and triple LP vinyl release on February 6, 2026.
Honouring the King
“Very few people in music define the genre in which they flourish, and B.B. King is one of them,” says Bonamassa. “When B.B. was alive and active, he was the blues, he was the sun which all planets rotated around. Only a few artists are the true north guiding the genre in which they participated, but he was that shining star.”
The project was born when Bonamassa realised no major plans had been announced to mark King’s centennial. With the blessing of the King estate, he began reaching out to friends, collaborators, and a wide network of artists whose lives and music had been shaped by King.
Vassal Gradington Benford III, Chairman of the Estate of B.B. King, commented:
“Together with Joe Bonamassa and other great artists, we celebrate not only Mr. King’s extraordinary music, but also his enduring spirit of love, unity, and the joy he brought to generations. This collection carries his legacy forward so that new audiences may continue to feel the heart, soul, and humanity of the King of the Blues.”
A galaxy of collaborators
The album features contributions from Buddy Guy, Keb’ Mo’, Slash, Shemekia Copeland, Marcus King, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Larkin Poe, Jimmie Vaughan, Warren Haynes, Dion, Aloe Blacc, Kirk Fletcher, and many others. Each was paired with songs that held personal significance, ensuring that every performance is both heartfelt and individual.
Bonamassa, who first opened for B.B. King at age 12, described the project as a labour of love. “He mentored me, but I wasn’t the only one. All the people in his orbit have the same story about how kind B.B. was, and how he embraced the younger generation.”
Tracks like “The Thrill Is Gone” were given the full treatment with strings and horns to preserve their grandeur. Bonamassa also highlighted King’s extraordinary vocal ability, too often overshadowed by his guitar playing. “He’s known as a guitar player, but if Frank Sinatra says, ‘Hey, this is one of my favorite singers in the world,’ you listen,” Bonamassa noted.
A legacy alive
For many involved, the sessions were more than recordings. Bobby Rush called King “the man I looked up to all my life,” while Kenny Wayne Shepherd recalled life advice given on his 16th birthday. Marcus King remembered standing at the back of a B.B. King show as a child, a memory that has never left him.
Other unique pairings include Train’s Pat Monahan with Chris Buck on “Think It Over” and Shemekia Copeland, Slash, and Myles Kennedy uniting for “When Love Comes to Town.”
The album title nods to King’s Grammy-winning 1993 release Blues Summit. For Bonamassa, this centennial project is a mission fulfilled:
“B.B.’s only wish was, ‘Do what you can to keep the blues alive.’ Hopefully this album gives a B12 shot to his legacy and to the legacy of the blues.”
Carrying the torch
B.B. King passed away in 2015 at the age of 89, leaving behind over 50 albums, 15 Grammy Awards, and an immeasurable influence on music. As Buddy Guy once said, “Every electric guitarist you listen to, there’s a little bit of B.B. in there.”
The first five tracks from B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 are out now on all digital platforms, with new songs to follow each month until February 2026. The complete album will be available in digital, double CD, and triple LP vinyl formats on February 6, 2026. For details, visit jbonamassa.com.
