B.B. King News

Keith "The Captain" Gamble & the Nu Gypsies will play Wednesday, Blues Night at Club Bonafide, 212 East 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022, on May 23 at 8:00pm.

Songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, whose classic song 'Stand By Me' just received worldwide acclaim for its climactic performance at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, will be inducted into the American Jazz Walk of Fame in Kansas City, MO on Saturday, June 2. Their names will be embedded in a bronze medallion on the sidewalk near the Jazz Museum. Their 1952 song classic '(Going to) Kansas City' is now considered to be the city's anthem.

TV One's longest-running and five-time NAACP Image Award winning series, Unsung, will launch its thirteenth season on Sunday, May 20 at 9 p.m. ET, kicking off with the story of the iconic musical group Mtume. The remainder of the season promises to be equally unforgettable, featuring stories from other influential musicians including hip-hop artists Special Ed and Digable Planets, songstresses Cheryl Pepsii Riley, Regina Belle, 702 and Michel'le, blues pioneer B.B. King, and R&B crooner Will Downing. UNSUNG will delve into the lives of trailblazing music artists whose full stories and journeys have yet to be explored.

Grab your sunscreen and head down south for the Chillin' on the Lucie music festival in Port St. Lucie, Fla., Oct. 3 - 7. Headlining will be country icon, Wynonna, with her band The Big Noise, and hit-maker Joe Nichols, with two more to be announced. RaeLynn, Thompson Square, Craig Campbell, Restless Heart, Love and Theft, Trent Tomlinson, Scooter Brown Band and Southern Halo are also scheduled to perform at the festival, with more acts to be announced. Tickets can be purchased here.

Songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, composers of some of the greatest blues, jazz, R&B, and rock and roll hits of all time, will be inducted into the American Jazz Walk of Fame in Kansas City, MO on Saturday, June 2.  Their names will be embedded in a bronze medallion on the sidewalk near the Jazz Museum. 

The 2018 Summer Concert Series returns to Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater with a new line up of concerts in June and July, including The Great American Songbook, Greg Abate, Stage Door Canteen, and Gregg Sullivan. The perfect end to a summer day, all concerts are 8 p.m. at the air-conditioned, state-of-the-art Julie Harris Stage. Individual tickets are $20.

Proudly listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 92-year-old Palace Theatre today begins a full facelift of its 2,837-seat auditorium as part of an ongoing $6.5 million renovation. Adjacent to downtown Columbus' LeVeque Tower, the six-month, main-hall makeover will include the repair of damaged plaster, new paint in a new color scheme, all-new seats on the first floor, and fully refurbished seats in the balcony. As such, the Palace is now closed to the public, and will reopen in November 2018.

Following the success of his residency at the world famous Metropolitan Room, NYC, new-breed vocalist John Minnock, known for putting modern twists on cabaret classics, is now proud to launch his 2018 John Minnock Series at Don't Tell Mama

Berkshire Theatre Group's On The Stage Series returns, featuring the band Misty Blues at The Colonial Theatre on Thursday, May 24 at 7pm. Tickets are $20.

Trey Anastasio returns to Walt Disney Concert Hall for a solo performance on Friday, December 7, 2018.   Over the past three decades, composer/guitarist/vocalist Trey Anastasio has forged a multi-faceted career, winning acclaim in rock, classical, and theatrical circles. He is a founding member of Phish, one of today's most successful and innovative rock bands. Known for uncompromising musicianship and spectacular live performances, Phish released their 15th studio album, Big Boat, in October 2016 and finished the year with another sold-out four-night run at Madison Square Garden. Anastasio also tours regularly with the Trey Anastasio Band, which also released a new studio album, Paper Wheels, in October 2015.

It's a month of legends at Blue Note Hawaii with the Godfather of British Blues John Mayall, one of the most celebrated vocalists of our time, Dionne Warwick, and the band of reggae legend Bob Marley, The Wailers, all gracing the stage this May at Blue Note Hawaii. Local favorite Leipono kick us off on May Day, followed by Kuana Torres Kahele in his tribute to the island of Maui featuring Amy Hanaiali'i. Mike Lewis & Friends promise to bring the house down in a tribute to the music of Prince featuring sultry songstress Ginai. There's a night of Hawaii Jazz All Stars with Josh Kaye and Mike Lewis, welcoming some of the island's best jazz musicians. The Island 98.5 Rocksteady Reggae Series continues this month with the formidable Wailing Souls and The Wailers. Celebrate Mother's Day weekend with ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro, and the incomparable Willie K returns to the stage. Musical tributes this month from Mike Lewis & Friends include Thelonious Monk, Chuck Mangione, Chet Baker and Sade and Josh Kaye & Friends will pay homage to the great Aretha Franklin featuring vocalist Sherry Graham. The Honolulu Jazz Quartet will present a tribute to Broadway Classics with a jazz twist

It's a month of legends at Blue Note Hawaii with the Godfather of British Blues John Mayall, one of the most celebrated vocalists of our time, Dionne Warwick, and the band of reggae legend Bob Marley, The Wailers, all gracing the stage this May at Blue Note Hawaii.

Southern Halo's much-anticipated, dream-inspired concept album, JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES, premiered globally earlier this week on Taste of Country and is available now from iTunes.  The group's current single, the feel-good sing-along 'Anything Is Possible,' is moving up the Billboard Indicator and MusicRow charts. 

The Juilliard School today announced that alumnus Wynton Marsalis, trumpeter, director of Juilliard Jazz Studies, and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, will address the graduates at the school's 113th commencement ceremony, which takes place Friday, May 18, 2018, at 11am in Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. Mr. Marsalis received an honorary doctor of music degree from Juilliard in 2006. This will be the final commencement for Juilliard President Joseph W. Polisi, who has had a long association with Mr. Marsalis and asked that he be the commencement speaker. In July, Damian Woetzel will begin as the school's seventh president.

Blue Note Hawaii, the state's premier venue for the world's most celebrated artists, announces two nights only with legendary producer, composer keyboardist and vocalist Sergio Mendes November 16 and 17, 2018.

B.B. Kings Blues Club & Grill, a musical venue in the heart of the theatre district, has just announced that it will close its 42nd Street location at the end of this month. An official statement reads: 

After 18 years of hosting some of music and entertainment's most revered names, B.B. King Blues Club & Grill has announced its final run of shows in its current Times Square location (237 W 42nd St). Due to escalating rent, the historic venue and supper club is forced to close its doors with a final performance on April 29, 2018. B.B. King Blues Club is in the process of selecting a new location in Manhattan to relocate the venue.

The 2017-2018 Hoff-Barthelson Music School Master Class Series concludes with jazz great Gary Smulyan. Mr. Smulyan will coach HBMS jazz students on Sunday, May 6, 2018, beginning at 12 noon at the Jazz Forum, 1 Dixon Lane, Tarrytown. The public is invited to observe the Master Class free of charge.

The California Honeydrops' seventh album (and first double album), Call It Home: Vol. 1 & 2, is out now via Tubtone Records. The record debuts at Billboard, who proclaims that it, “represents a new level of ambition…” Album purchase available here. 

Blue Note Hawaii, the state's premier venue for the world's most celebrated artists, announces two nights only with legendary Hawaiian duo HAPA April 29 and 30, 2018. This will be the first time in seventeen years that the original members BARRY Flanagan and Keli'i Kaneali'i will perform together.