B.B. King Apologises For Heckle-Filled US Concert, Issues Explanation

Blues legend BB King has issued an apology to the fans that were in attendance during a recent show in St Louis, Missouri, in which the 88-year-old guitarist and singer was reportedly rambling and spent most of his time on stage telling long-winded stories with the venue’s house lights on.

King’s 4th April St Louis performance became international news after the show reportedly suffered booing, catcalls, and early departures. At one point, King reportedly led a 15-minute singalong of You Are My Sunshine and only played one song in its entirety, his 1969 classic The Thrill Is Gone.

Now, as Billboard reports, a representative for King has cited a combination of a 24-hour drive from the guitarist’s home in Las Vegas to the Gateway City that preceded the ill-fated performance, and King forgetting to take his diabetes medication that day, as the cause of the shambolic performance.

“The combination of the rigours of the very long drive and high blood sugar due to his medication error resulted in a performance that did not match Mr. King’s usual standard of excellence,” a statement read, as reported by Billboard. “Simply put, it was a bad night for one of America’s living blues legends — and Mr. King apologizes and humbly asks for the understanding of his fans.”

Fans and a frequently quoted review by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch‘s Daniel Durchholz accounted for King’s advanced age, with Durchholz indicating that King’s eight-piece backup band failed him and should have been at his aide when he “was lost for a lyric or simply what to do next.”

Watch: BB King at the Peabody St. Louis, April 4, 2014

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