Erratic B.B. King show irks fans

AT 88, BLUES guitarist B.B. King is a living legend, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer with his own satellite radio channel and a string of blues-themed restaurants in New York, Las Vegas and several other cities.

AT 88, BLUES guitarist B.B. King is a living legend, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer with his own satellite radio channel and a string of blues-themed restaurants in New York, Las Vegas and several other cities.

Slowed by age and infirmity, including diabetes, King continues to tour — with sometimes painful results. In St. Louis, some fans are singing the blues after an erratic weekend performance led to a stream of audience catcalls and early departures.

Concertgoers said King’s rambling on Friday night set at the Peabody Opera House featured just a handful of complete songs amid meandering musical snippets, long-winded soliloquies, an 8-piece back-up band that missed its cues and a 15-minute sing-along of You Are My Sunshine.

“Is he a living legend? Absolutely. Do I love his music? You bet,” said digital marketing executive Larry Goldstein, who paid $150 for a pair of tickets plus parking. “But when you’re paying that type of money, you expect to see a show.”

St. Louis record store owner Tom ‘Papa’ Ray did not attend the King concert, but said audiences should know to adjust their expectations. “If your 88-year-old father or grandfather was great in a particular art or craft, and his performance was disappointing, would you heckle him?” said Ray, owner of Vintage Vinyl. “It totally saddened me to hear about that.”

Bob Johnson, a retired IRS agent who attended the St. Louis concert with his adult daughter, said the dissatisfied audience members were trying to encourage King more than criticise him, suggesting specific song titles or urging him to “Play some music” during the long interludes.

“Everybody was trying to be respectful that this guy is 88 years old,” he said. “It was painful to watch.” AP