We are watching this B.B. King performance of ‘The Thrill is Gone’ on repeat all day

Legendary blues guitarist B.B. King passed away peacefully last night at 89. One of the most influential musicians of the last century, and a cross-generational icon, King is remembered as much for his guitar mastery, as for his infusion of emotion into every note he played. Rolling Stone named him the one of the top ten guitarists of all time, and credited him with inspiring everyone from Jimi Hendrix to The Allman Brothers.

“I wanted to connect my guitar to human emotions,” Mr. King once said. And, incredibly, he did just that. You can’t listen to a King song without feeling stirred to the core. His work is haunting, filled with anguish and—at the same time—electrifying, uplifting and uncompromisingly beautiful. Today, we’re remembering just how potent and unrivaled his music was, is and always will be. We found this 1971 live performance of “The Thrill is Gone” and we’ve already added about 100 views to the video, playing it over and over again.

“The thrill is gone/The thrill is gone away from me/Although I’ll still live on/But so lonely I’ll be.” His lyrics perfectly express how much his absence is felt today. But, in truth, King will live on through his work for decades to come. Even if you’re not familiar with his work, spend four minutes with this video and you’ll understand why his imprint on music—and our hearts—is indelible.

(Image via YouTube)