R.I.P. BB King...

B.B. King passed today. Hard to believe. He seemed like one of those guys that always was, and always would be. Saw him the first time in the early 70s at the Kennedy Center. Black women in heels and fur stoles danced in the aisles. Two years later, saw him at the U. of Maryland fieldhouse. A huge venue. The majority of the audience was Black. I ran into a schoolmate, a girl named Rosie, who asked me what I was doing there. I shrugged and said, “B.B. King.” Got locked in a room backstage (accidentally) after the concert and shook King’s hand. It was as big as baseball glove. Got his autograph, too, on a white matchbook. Framed the thing, then had it go missing sometime in the 90s. Hope it shows up again. Last time I saw him was in the 90s in Colorado Springs. John Lee Hooker opened for him, and later they did a duet. Man, what a concert. Hard to put into words what his music meant to me, so I won’t even try. Lot of history there. Lot of good times.