Columnist Joe Delaney: King settles at Stardust for holiday weekend

Joe Delaney

Friday, Nov. 23, 2001 | 9:30 a.m.

Joe Delaney's column appears on Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at 259-4066 or joe@lasvegassun.com

B.B.King is back in Las Vegas, his adopted hometown, for a three-day stand starting tonight in the Stardust's Wayne Newton Theater ... It's hard to believe that our first meeting was 51 years ago, in Memphis, Tenn. ... King was a disc jockey on the first 50 kilowatt AM radio station in the south to be managed and staffed by black personnel ... I was visiting my Decca Records distributor.

Born Riley B. King on Sept. 16, 1925, in Itta Bena, Miss., near Indianola, an equally small town, he was still in his teens when he hitchhiked to Memphis, with his guitar and $2.50 in his pocket ... He was first known as the "Beale Street Blues Boy," soon changed to B.B. ... King was 24 when we met; I was 27.

The day stands out in my mind because it was the first day of the 1949 World Series and the Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 1-0, when outfielder Tommy Henrich hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning ... King and I almost didn't meet because I was listening to the game on the radio and was not about to leave until the game was over ... Our friendship continues today.

Little did either of us dream that in 1971 King would succeed Louis Armstrong as America's musical ambassador to the world, a mantle he has worn proudly these past three decades ... Just as almost every horn player owes a tithe to the memory of Armstrong, King has been the most dominant influence on blues, jazz and rock guitarists for nearly 50 years.

King has traveled and recorded with U2; he is a big favorite in Ireland, playing both Dublin and Belfast twice a year ... A recent album with Eric Clapton made it into the top 10 on the U.S. charts ... King sings a duet with Tony Bennett on Bennett's new CD, which also features duets with Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and k.d. lang, among others.

King and his guitar, Lucille, headline jazz festivals throughout Europe each summer ... He is known and loved on all five continents ... At age 76, he still performs 200 or more concerts a year ... He has amassed an amazing number of honorary degrees, plus a roomful of Grammy Awards, lifetime achievement awards and similar acknowledgements.

He's fortunate to be home this holiday weekend, and Las Vegas is fortunate to have one of its most illustrious citizens working in town as well.

Weekend wrap-up

Those fortunate enough to be present in University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Artemus Ham Hall Sunday were treated to two of the finest all-category pianists, Dr. Billy Taylor and Ramsey Lewis, in concert ... The two good friends, representing New York City and Chicago, respectively, had a great time together, and the nearly 1,000 people who were present rewarded them accordingly.

It was part of the UNLV Performing Arts Center's Best of the New York Stage series, one of the best ever, as Taylor and Lewis paid tribute to fellow pianists/composers, playing songs written by Dave Brubeck, John Lewis, Oscar Peterson and George Gershwin, among others ... The extended Gershwin medley and Peterson's "Nigerian Market" were show stoppers.

Individual tickets are available for the balance of the 2001-2002 season, including the Charles Vanda Master Series ... Check it out ... If you are a subscriber and cannot attend, make sure to give your ticket(s) to someone who can.

Recommendations: Frankie Randall and the Vincent Falcone Orchestra (Suncoast) through Sunday, and comedian Bernie Allen, headlining (Riviera Comedy Club), Monday through Thursday -- a very funny man, go, laugh.

The day after Thanksgiving means shopping, watching football and enjoying leftovers ... Roberta is an excellent cook ... Raiding the refrigerator the day after is just as much fun as the holiday itself ... The Delaneys hope your holiday was pleasant, with an afterglow that will take you nicely into 2002.