The legendary blues guitarist and singer B.B. King died on May 14, 2015, at the age of 89. See footage of King’s funeral procession, from Memphis, Tennessee, to his final resting place in Indianola, Mississippi. Celebrating his life, and honoring him upon his death, the procession included marching bands on Beale Street in Memphis, the city where he began his career. The escorted motorcade continued over state lines via U.S. 61 to Indianola, Mississippi, with fans lining the highway to pay their respects.
The B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola held a public viewing on May 29 and King’s funeral took place May 30 at Bell Grove Missionary Baptist Church, followed by a private burial on the grounds of the museum, which was founded in his honor in 2005.
This web-exclusive video is by Jon Brewer, director/producer of the documentary B.B. King: The Life of Riley, which finished shooting shortly before King’s death. It includes interviews with civil rights activist Charles Evers and Tony Coleman, drummer in the B.B. King Blues Band. King’s music heard in the feature is the song that earned him his first Grammy Award, “The Thrill is Gone,” (recorded 1969) and “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean,” from his final studio album, One Kind Favor (2008). Learn more about B.B. King’s life in Indianola and Memphis, and his career in this B.B. King Timeline.
