B.B.
King meets the Pope and performs at Vatican Christmas concert
"Deuces
Wild" spends 13 weeks at Number 1 on Blues Chart
B.B.
King stars in the film "Blues Brothers 2000"
B.B. King
receives first Gold and Platinum Awards
"Thrill
Is Gone" enters Grammy Hall of Fame
B.B. King
receives two W.C. Handy Award nominations
On December 18, 1997, B.B. King had an audience with Pope John Paul II and performed at the fifth edition of the Vatican Christmas Concert on December 19, 1997, at the hall of Paolo VI. The aim of the concert was to remind the public throughout the world of the church of Rome's cherished project to build 50 new churches in the city suburbs as tangible fruit of the 2000 Jubilee.
B.B. King performed "Merry Christmas Baby" and "Christmas Celebration" on an all-star international program with the 84 piece Royal Monaco Orchestra (Orchestra Filarmonica Del Principato Monaco) conducted by Renato Serio.
B.B. King donated his services for this historic event; the Vatican picked up his airfare and hotel. King, his long time manager Sid Seidenberg and his personal assistant Joe McClendon, were required to be at all parties and festivities and ate at the banquets. King sent copies of his albums to the Vatican prior to the performance and had to write out al the charts for the orchestra. There were two days of rehearsals. The concert was later shown on television around the globe, for over two billion people.
Prince Renier of Monaco told B.B. King that there was only one thing wrong with the show. "It was only two songs," he said, "maybe next time you can play longer."
King presented the Pope with a guitar - a sister of Lucille. "The Pope said thank you for the guitar," reminisced King, "and he grabbed hold of it like he knew how to handle a guitar."
"I heard from a friend," smiled King, "that after we left, the Pope strummed the guitar and played "The Thrill Is Gone."
B.B. King is the true King of the Blues having performed consistently for 50 years, averaging over 200 concerts a year and having toured in 82 countries. "from picking cotton in Mississippi to becoming a self taught guitarist," said Seidenberg, "B.B.'s work ethic has carried him through tough times to an international artist plating for kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers and now the Pope."
B.B. King's latest album, "Deuces Wild" (MCA), debuted on the Billboard Blues Chart at #1 and spent 13 consecutive weeks in the top spot, only to be replaced by the "Blues Brothers 2000" soundtrack album (Universal) on which King also appears for two songs. "Deuces Wild" is a duet album between King and Van Morrison, Tracy Chapman, Eric Clapton, Mich Hucknell (Simply Red), Bonnie Raitt, D'Angelo, Dr. John, Marty Stewart, The Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, Heavy D., David Gilmour & Paul Carrick and Willie Nelson.
B.B. King stars in the film, "Blues Brothers 2000," that opened on February 5th with Dan Aykroid, John Goodman, Joe Morton, J. Evan Bonifant, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and the Blues Brothers Band. On the soundtrack album, King is the leader of the Louisiana Gator Boys, and they appear on two tracks: his classic "How Blue Can You Get" and Gary U.S. Bonds' "New Orleans," the latter accompanied by the Blues Brothers Band as well.
The Louisiana Gator Boys are, in addition to King, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, Gary U.S. Bonds, Eric Clapton, Clarence Clemons, Jack DeJohnette, Bob Didley, Jon Faddis, Isaac Hays, Dr. John, Tommy McDonnell, Charlie Musselwhite, Billy Preston, Lou Rawls, Joshua Redman, Koko Taylor, Travis Tritt, Jimmie Vaughan, Grover Washington, Jr., Willie Weeks and Steve Winwood.
B.B. King's album, "The Best Of B.B. King," released in 1973, was awarded gold and platinum status in November, 1997, making King's first gold (500,000 copies sold) and platinum (1 million copies sold) awards.
B.B. King's, "The Thrill Is Gone," released in 1969 on Bluesway, has been installed in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Established in 1973 to honor early recordings of lasting qualitative and historical significance, "The Thrill Is Gone," is one of 263 recordings in the Hall of Fame.
B.B. King has been nominated as Entertainer of the Year and the B.B. King Orchestra has been nominated as Blues Band of the Year for the 1998 W.C. Handy Blues Awards from the Blues Foundation. The B.B. King Orchestra won Blues Band of the Year in 1991.