Yesterday was B.B. King’s Birthday. The self proclaimed King of Blues is one of my personal favorites. The man is a legend. I like the story (one of several versions) of why his guitar is named Lucille. He claims that the apartment he was living in caught fire, and he only had time to save one thing. He had to choose between his guitar and his girlfriend. He named the guitar in her memory. His music is incredible. Many of his songs are well known, but my favorite is Hummingbird. I heard that song for the first time when I was a freshman in college. My buddy Vic played it for me. Vic was interesting character. He loved the blues and Elvis. We spent many a night drinking Thunderbird (in a paper bag!) and listening to the blues. Why Thunderbird? Why in a paper bag? Well I’m not exactly sure. (And if you are not familiar with Thunderbird it is the wine of choice amongst winos who know.) Vic felt that there was something special about that. Picture, if you will, two white college kids, sitting in a dorm room with lights dimmed. Both of them chain smoking while listening to the blues. Exchanging shouts of “what’s the word?” “Thunderbird!” “What’s the price?” A dollar twice!” The thought of it brings a smile to my face even though I don’t smoke or drink anymore and I haven’t seen Vic in over a decade. Vic introduced me to Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker (the best bluesman you’ve never heard of) and, of course, B.B. King. And the blues are still a big part of me. So Happy 79th B.B. King and here’s to you Vic where ever you are!