The Thrill is Gone

Alright, Zoo Freaks, the Zoo Crew’s got the blues flowing with The Thrill Is Gone by B.B. King, a soul-stirring track from the 2005 album B.B. King & Friends - 80, featuring a duet with Eric Clapton that’s like a warm whiskey hug on a lonesome night. This tune, originally a 1951 Roy Hawkins cut, became B.B.’s signature when he dropped it in ‘69, but this version with Clapton is a whole new vibe, blending their guitar magic into a heartbreak anthem that hit #183 on Rolling Stone’s greatest songs list. B.B. once told Genius it was a “different kind of blues ballad” he’d carried in his head for years, finally letting it loose with that iconic string section. Fans on X lose it over this one—a Freak posted about hearing the Crossroads 2010 live version with Clapton, saying it gave them “goosebumps like a Mississippi storm,” while a Reddit r/blues thread had someone reminiscing about their grandpa playing the ‘69 original on vinyl, tears in his eyes after a rough day.

Dig this groovy story: the B.B. King & Friends take was part of B.B.’s 80th birthday celebration, packed with duets from Van Morrison to Sheryl Crow, but Clapton’s turn on The Thrill Is Gone is pure legend, their guitars—Lucille and Blackie—trading licks like old pals swapping tales. A Songfacts commenter from Paris raved about the live Montreux ‘93 version, loving the “short drumming intro, heavy bass, and light guitar,” but the 2010 Crossroads clip on YouTube has fans on Facebook calling it the “best ever,” with B.B.’s solo at 2:20 hitting like a lightning bolt. Another X user shared a memory of catching B.B.’s final Nashville show, where he told stories for half an hour post-gig, and this song closed the night, leaving everyone spellbound. The track’s Grammy win in ‘70 for Best Male R&B Vocal and its ‘98 Grammy Hall of Fame nod just seal its place as a blues cornerstone.

Now, let’s roll back to how the King of the Blues got his crown, ‘cause B.B. King’s story is straight-up American grit. Born Riley B. King in 1925 on a Mississippi sharecropping plantation, he grew up singing gospel in church but fell hard for the blues, teaching himself guitar on a borrowed axe, inspired by T-Bone Walker and Blind Lemon Jefferson, per Biography.com. After a stint in the Army during WWII, he landed in Memphis, spinning records as a DJ on WDIA, where he earned the nickname “Beale Street Blues Boy,” shortened to B.B. His first record in ‘49 kicked off a wild ride, and by the ‘50s, he was touring nonstop—300 shows a year!—with his beloved guitar Lucille, named after a woman tied to a near-fatal club fire. The ‘69 release of The Thrill Is Gone on Completely Well crossed him into pop stardom, and collabs with everyone from U2 to Elton John made him a global icon, snagging 15 Grammys and a 1987 Rock Hall induction.

Zoo Freaks, if you’re feeling B.B.’s bluesy soul, connect with his legacy: swing by the official B.B. King website for merch and history, vibe with tributes on Facebook, check out vintage pics on Instagram, and follow fan love on X. For you super-fans, join the BB King Fans Facebook group to swap stories of epic gigs—like that ‘79 Soviet Union tour—or rare vinyl finds. Fan sites like BB King Museum dive deep into his Mississippi roots and gear, keeping Lucille’s spirit alive. Keep spinning those records, and let The Thrill Is Gone carry you through the blues with a smile!