Artists including Gladys Knight and Lenny Kravitz honour the King of the Blues, who influenced a generation of musicians

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Tributes have poured in for the blues legend BB King, the inspiration for generations of musicians, who has died in his sleep aged 89.

The world famous singer and guitarist, who began life on a plantation in Mississippi and was universally acclaimed as one of the best blues musicians of all time, had been receiving hospice care at his home.

His death was announced on Facebook by his daughter, Claudette, who posted: “It is with great sadness that we relay that Blues legend BB King has died in Las Vegas at the age of 89.” She added: “Please remember him in your heart.”

BB King, former Mississippi farmhand who became a blues legend - obituary Read more

The news triggered an outpouring of personal tributes from household names across social media.

The singer Lenny Kravitz tweeted: “BB, anyone could play a thousand notes and never say what you said in one.”

Lenny Kravitz (@LennyKravitz) BB, anyone could play a thousand notes and never say what you said in one. #RIP #BBKing pic.twitter.com/YvZYH8hyJE

The singer-songwriter Bryan Adams agreed: “One of the best blues guitarists ever, maybe the best. He could do more on one note than anyone.”

Richie Sambora, the Bon Jovi guitarist, wrote: “My friend and legend BB King passed. I”m so so sad. He was so great to me. We’ve lost the King”.

RICHIE SAMBORA (@TheRealSambora) 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.

The actor Hugh Laurie tweeted: “Oh God. BB King. Let the sad times roll”. Meanwhile, Samuel L Jackson urged his Twitter followers: “Play a BB King song today & remember him! RIP Mr King & thanks for all the Great Music!”

The singer Gladys Knight posted a link to a YouTube video of her performing Please Send Me Someone to Love, with King, tweeting: “What a brilliant man you were. One who will forever be noted as such an inspiration to millions globally, RIP.”

Gladys Knight (@MsGladysKnight) What a brilliant man you were. One who will forever be noted as such an inspiration to millions globally, RIP #BBKing http://t.co/9G8NEYTmBT

King is celebrated for bringing the raw music of the cotton fields in the segregated south of America to a global audience, and inspiring guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

At 89, he outlived blues contemporaries including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and John Lee Hooker.

Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time ranked him third in 2003, behind only Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Bono talks about BB King in a clip from documentary BB King: The Life of Riley

He learned the guitar as a boy, and after army service during the second world war busked to earn money, hitchhiking to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1947 where he was taught by, and played blues guitar with, his cousin Bukka White.

From touring black bars and dance halls in his early career, he would end up headlining at New York’s Carnegie Hall, recording with the likes of Clapton and U2, with whom he collaborated on the 1989 track When Love Comes to Town.

At the height of his career he was touring the world with his trademark Gibson guitars and performing 300 nights in a year.

King won 15 Grammys, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and was awarded the National Medal of Arts.

BB King was that rare thing – a game-changer who was also beloved Read more

He married and divorced twice. Although he didn’t have children with either wife, he acknowledged fathering 15 with different women.

Asked about the blues, he said: “I am trying to get people to see that we are our brother’s keeper. Red, white, black, brown or yellow, rich or poor, we all have the blues.”

He complained in his autobiography, Blues All Around Me, of the lack of respect blues music got in comparison with rock and jazz. King wrote: “Being a blues singer is like being black twice.

“While the civil rights movement was fighting for the respect of black people, I felt I was fighting for the respect of the blues.”

Ringo Starr, the former Beatle, joined the tributes, tweeting: “God Bless BB King, peace and love to his family?” The rapper Snoop Dogg posted a photo of King holding his guitar, which he always named Lucille, on his Instagram page.

Will Young wrote: “BB King – the most wonderful blues singer and guitarist. I suggest everyone gets one of his records to hear true soul and spirit.”