Joe Bonamassa Pays Tribute To Friend And Mentor, B.B. King With “‘The Thrill Is Gone”

A Salute To A 26-Year Friendship

When B.B. King died in May 2015, the loss rang through the blues community like a bell, hitting 38-year old blues prodigy Joe Bonamassa particularly hard. Bonamassa not only grew up listening to B.B., but also had the pleasure and privilege of being chosen to open for B.B. at the age of 12 for well over 20 shows! Since then, Joe’s incorporated B.B.’s ‘The Thrill Is Gone’ into his setlists as a tribute to a man who helped jumpstart his career, and proved to be a lifelong friend.

Of his time on the road with B.B., Joe recalls:

“That summer I played about 20 shows with BB. He’s the nicest person I’ve ever met in the music business. He is the blues, the blues is him. I look at BB and that is exactly how I want to live my life.”

This performance of ‘The Thrill Is Gone’ is absolutely outstanding; not only is the quality flawless, but Joe has never been better! He’s playing a Gibson ES-355 not unlike B.B.’s beloved Lucille, and through this performance you can see shades of B.B.; whether it’s in Joe’s facial expressions or the way he’s bending the strings to his will, it’s clear that B.B.’s influence and friendship influenced Joe Bonamassa far beyond your regular, run of the mill idol!

+ The Thrill Is Gone lyrics +

The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away
You know you done me wrong baby
And you’ll be sorry someday

The thrill is gone
It’s gone away from me
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away from me
Although, I’ll still live on
But so lonely I’ll be

The thrill is gone
It’s gone away for good
The thrill is gone baby
It’s gone away for good
Someday I know I’ll be open armed baby
Just like I know a good man should

You know I’m free, free now baby
I’m free from your spell
Oh I’m free, free, free now
I’m free from your spell
And now that it’s all over
All I can do is wish you well