Joe Bonamassa curates new B.B. King tribute album to mark late blues legend's 100th birthday
Joe Bonamassa has recruited huge names, including Buddy Guy, Slash and George Benson, for a new B.B. King tribute record.
Joe Bonamassa is honouring the legacy of late blues icon B.B. King with a monumental new project: a 32-song tribute album titled B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100.
Set for release on February 6, 2026, the star-studded project celebrates what would have been King’s 100th birthday (16.09.25) and features an extraordinary lineup of artists spanning generations and genres.
Bonamassa, who famously opened for B.B. King at just 12 years old, took the reins after realising no major tribute had been planned for the centennial.
He said: “Very few people in music define the genre in which they flourish, and B.B. King is one of them.
"When B.B. was alive and active, he was the blues – he was the sun which all planets rotated around. Only a few artists are the true north guiding the genre in which they participated, but he was that shining star.”
The album includes contributions from blues legends and rock royalty alike, including Buddy Guy, Slash, Keb’ Mo’, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, Paul Rodgers, Michael McDonald, George Benson, Jimmie Vaughan, Warren Haynes, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Larkin Poe, Marcus King, Bobby Rush, Shemekia Copeland, Aloe Blacc, and many more.
Five tracks, including Let the Good Times Roll, To Know You Is to Love You, and Why I Sing the Blues, are already available on streaming platforms.
Six additional songs will be released monthly through to February 9, 2026 – when the full album will be available in both digital and physical formats.
Bonamassa described the process as a “labour of love,” assembling a dream team of collaborators and recording most of the foundational tracks with his own band before layering in guest performances.
Vassal Gradington Benford III, Chairman of the Estate of B.B. King, said: "On behalf of the Estate of B.B. King, the B.B. King Family, Vassal Benford, and Ronald Lebow, we are deeply honoured to collaborate with Joe Bonamassa on this special project kicking off Mr. King’s 100th birthday Centennial celebration. Together with Joe Bonamassa, along with other great artists, we celebrate not only Mr. King’s extraordinary music, but also his enduring spirit of love, unity, and the joy he brought to generations. This collection carries his legacy forward—so that new audiences may continue to feel the heart, soul, and humanity of the King of the Blues."
B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 tracklisting:
Disc 1:
1. Paying The Cost To Be The Boss feat. Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
2. Don’t Answer The Door feat. Marcus King
3. To Know You Is To Love You feat. Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks
4. Let The Good Times Roll feat. Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Noah Hunt
5. Sweet Little Angel feat. Buddy Guy
6. When It All Comes Down (I’ll Still Be Around) feat. Larry McCray
7. When Love Comes To Town feat. Slash, Shemekia Copeland & Myles Kennedy
8. The Thrill Is Gone*
9. Watch Yourself feat. Jimmie Vaughan
10. Why I Sing The Blues feat. Bobby Rush
11. Sweet Sixteen feat. Jimmy Hall & Larry Carlton
12. Don’t You Want A Man Like Me feat. Larkin Poe
13. I’ll Survive feat. Keb’ Mo’
14. Heartbreaker feat. Trombone Shorty & Eric Gales
15. There Must Be A Better World Somewhere feat. George Benson
16. Chains And Things feat. Gary Clark Jr.
Disc 2:
1. How Blue Can You Get feat. Warren Haynes
2.. You Upset Me Baby feat. Chris Cain
3. Ghetto Woman feat. Ivan Neville
4. Night Life feat. Paul Rodgers
5. Ain’t Nobody Home feat. Jade MacRae and Robben Ford
6. Bad Case Of Love feat. Joanne Shaw Taylor
7. Never Make A Move Too Soon feat. Dion
8. Three O’Clock Blues feat. Marc Broussard
9. Think It Over feat. Train and Chris Buck
10. It’s My Own Fault feat. Kim Wilson
11. Every Day I Have The Blues feat. D.K. Harrell
12. Please Accept My Love feat. John Nemeth
13. So Excited feat. Aloe Blacc
14. When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer feat. Dannielle De Andrea
15. Playin’ With My Friends
16. Better Not Look Down feat. Kirk Fletcher
* Special guests for this track will be announced soon
