"Joe Bonamassa unveils a stellar album in honor of BB King's centennial birthday, with himself as the central force, much like the sun around planets."
In honour of the 100th birthday of the legendary bluesman BB King, Joe Bonamassa has announced an all-star album titled BB King's Blues Summit 100. The album, produced by Bonamassa and Josh Smith, will be released via KTBA Records on February 6, 2026.
BB King, affectionately known as the "King of the Blues," has a special place in Bonamassa's heart. Having been mentored by BB King at a young age, Bonamassa considers him the centre of the blues guitar universe.
The album will feature 32 of BB King's most famous tracks, with Bonamassa sharing new tracks each month in the lead-up to its release. Some of the artists joining forces on the album include Buddy Guy, the greatest living bluesman, Eric Gales, Gary Clark Jr, Warren Haynes, Chris Buck, and many others.
The project has the blessing of the King estate, with Vassal Gradington Benford III, the chairman, noting that BB King's legacy was not just in the music itself, but in the message behind it - his "spirit of love" and gift for bringing people together.
BB King was renowned for his kindness and his embrace of the younger generation. This spirit is carried forward in BB King's Blues Summit 100, which also features a new generation of blues players, such as Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Slash, Shemekia Copeland, Marcus King, Kirk Fletcher, and Larkin Poe.
The first five tracks from BB King's Blues Summit 100 are available to stream now. Bonamassa, in his 2021 list of the 10 guitarists who blew his mind, included BB King. The album is available to preorder on all formats via Joe Bonamassa.
Bonamassa hopes that BB King's Blues Summit 100 will give a B12 shot to BB King's legacy and the legacy of the blues, keeping the spirit of the blues alive as BB King wished.
