The blues icon was honored by family and fans at a Mississippi funeral with a letter from President Barack Obama read during the service.
- May 31, 2015
AceShowbiz - A funeral for B.B. King was held Saturday, May 30 at Bell Grove Missionary Baptist Church in his "spiritual hometown" of Indianola, Mississippi. Hundreds of fans including Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant paid their final respect to the late blues icon before he was laid to rest.
"For those of us here in Indianola and around the world, B.B. King is a legend, an icon, a musical giant, a world class entertainer," Rev. Herron Wilson delivered the eulogy. "But to those of you seated before me, he is family and for that reason, we and the world extend our deepest sympathy to you."
Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson read a letter from President Barack Obama. "The blues has lost its king and American has lost a legend," Mr. President wrote. "No one worked harder than B.B. No one did more to spread the gospel of the blues."
"He gets stuck in your head, he gets you moving, he gets you doing the things you probably shouldn't do - but will always be glad you did. B.B. may be gone but that thrill will be with us forever," he added. "There's going to be one killer blues session in heaven tonight."
Before the funeral mass on Saturday, a public viewing was held at the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center. King was laid out in a purple satin shirt and a floral tuxedo jacket, next to two of his Lucille guitars. A viewing also took place in Las Vegas, where he spent his final days, and Memphis, where he started his career.
B.B. King died on May 15. He was 89.
