When I learned of the death of Riley Ben "B.B." King
my first thoughts went to my old friend and former client Ron Levy. Ron was blessed to be the keyboard player in
the B.B. King Band from 1969 to 1976. Due
to the number of condolences he received, Ron prepared the most beautiful
tribute to Mr. King I have come across
to date. With Mr. Levy's express
permission I republish the following tribute:
"My B.B. King” by Ron Levy
I was privileged to have the unique and special honor of
working with one of the greatest American artists of all time, B.B. King. A
great man known and loved around the world for his grace, soulful musical
genius and genuine humility. Mr. King is not just ‘King of the Blues’ but a
beloved man whose personal qualities and examples of leadership earned the love
and respect of every one of us that worked for and knew him.
B.B. often called me his “son” on and off stage and treated
me like one he truly loved. The feeling was mutual and always will be. As a
personal and musical role model, I never saw him fail to take the high road, or
give less than 100% of himself.
I described and detailed many specific examples of this in
my book, “Tales of A Road Dog” (published by Levtron.com) devoting five
chapters to Mr. King and the B.B. King musical family I grew up with on the
road performing on every continent short of Antarctica. A family that B.B.
nurtured and a family whose devotion and familial bonds are still strong today.
Every musician who played for Mr. King either before or since my tenure
(1969-76), shares this same fraternal kinship and always will, as well as our
mutual friends.
Lately, many have wondered, “Why is B.B. still working
despite his advanced age and declining health?” The answer is simple. Mr. King
has always felt an unwavering responsibility for “his” people, the musicians
whose livelihoods and families depended on him. He also felt a great
responsibility and love towards his unwavering fans. I never saw him leave a
venue until he had signed autographs, posed for photos and spoke or listened to
every single fan that came to him. He was always a true gentleman. So many
times over the years he would remember the names of these fans, and their children
and relatives. Some of whom he might not have seen in decades. He loved all
people with a king sized heart and was giving of himself to a fault, pained if
he felt he ever let anyone down.
B.B. has given me many fond memories. I still cherish his
hearty laugh and broad smile when remembering his response to one of my crazy
stories or jokes, youthful naiveté or something I played well he liked.
Sometimes he’d grimace when I played, said or did something back-asswards too!
Yet he was just as gentle at those times; setting me straight and making sure
‘I got it’. Combining the patience of Job with the wisdom of Solomon and his
Delta country parables, he won my total respect and admiration. His
wholehearted paternal pride inspired me to work harder to do my very best, just
like him.
I was only sixteen years old when I first met Mr. King in
1967 as a fan. Now in my sixties and 23 years older than B.B. was when we first
met, I know it still amuses him to regard me as a grown man. During our reunion
after a concert last year, we were able to share things with each other man to
man, that grew quite personal and emotional. Unspoken, we both realized this
could be our very last time together. He graciously asked me to play on his
next album even though we both knew it would never be. Eventually he tired and
we bade each other our fond farewells, and hugged goodbye. We had reached
deeply inside each other’s hearts and souls once again.
And, it was very good and complete.
For more on Mr. Levy's life and times, not only the B.B. King
Band but in Albert King's Band as well an incredible life in music, order his
wonderful book "Tales of a Road Dog:
The Lowdown along the Blues Highway" at http://www.levtron.com/ and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
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