B.B. King named his guitar “Lucille”. The legendary blues musician purchased two guitars in Arkansas in 1949 and decided to name one after a woman who was the cause of an on-stage fight between two men at the bar where he was playing that night. He eventually settled on calling it Lucille, and went on to use that same guitar throughout much of his career.
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B.B. King: The Man Behind the Guitar Name
B.B. King was one of the most influential and celebrated blues singers and guitarists of all time, so it’s no surprise that he chose to give his beloved instrument a name of its own. The guitar in question was called Lucille, after a woman whom B.B. Had met at a concert many years earlier and whose identity remains a mystery to this day.
At the time, King was playing in an unheated warehouse with some other musicians when two men got into a fight over a woman named Lucille – leading to an accidental fire that destroyed the entire building and almost killed everyone inside. As soon as King got out safely, he swore never to use any form of fuel on stage again – explaining why he always used electric guitars afterwards.
In tribute to this event, he decided to name his new electric guitar “Lucille” as both a reminder not to forget the incident itself but also as an act of appreciation towards the brave woman who indirectly saved his life that night by prompting him to leave quickly enough before anything worse could happen. Ever since then, this legendary musician has carried on using guitars bearing her mysterious name whenever possible; proving once again how powerful music can be in our lives.
The Inspiration Behind the Name Lucille
When blues legend B.B. King first chose to name his beloved Gibson guitar “Lucille,” he did so in order to immortalize a pivotal moment in his career. The name pays homage to a fire that broke out at an establishment during one of King’s performances. In the midst of the chaos, two men began fighting over a woman named Lucille, which prompted the blues star to jump from stage and attempt to break up the altercation.
In recognizing how close he had come to tragedy due to this chaotic occurrence, King realized it was time for him make some changes in life and dedicate himself fully to music–a decision that would ultimately launch him into superstardom as one of the greatest blues players of all time. As such, naming his favorite instrument after Lucille became symbolic for not only remembering an event that almost costed him dearly but also celebrating the commitment he made afterwards towards carving out his place in music history.
Since then, “Lucille” has been B.B.’S go-to guitar for most performances and recordings–an impressive feat given its age and wear over these past decades–and is now deeply connected with King’s legacy as both a source of inspiration as well as an iconic musical artifact honoring those who have gone before him.
How Lucille Became a Symbol of B.B. King’s Legacy
Throughout the annals of musical history, few instruments have attained the mythical status of Lucille. This electric guitar has become iconic due to its association with the late blues legend B.B. King, and her name is now inextricably linked with his own legendary career. But how did this remarkable instrument earn its place in music lore?
It all began in 1949 at a dance hall near Twist, Arkansas when two men got into a fight over a woman called Lucille. During the scuffle, someone knocked over a kerosene stove and set the building on fire. As he fled from danger, King managed to save his beloved guitar from destruction by grabbing it out of harm’s way – but it was too late for him to rescue anyone else or their belongings that night. Afterward, King promised himself he would never again risk his life or possessions for anything but “his beloved Lucille”.
He adopted this moniker as the title of his signature song – a powerful anthem about heartache and love lost – which became an enduring symbol of resilience and survival against adversity; traits which are still synonymous with King’s legacy today. The famous Gibson ES-355 ‘Lucille’ also serves as reminder of how far musicians will go to protect what they value most – namely, their passion and creative spirit expressed through their workmanship on stage – allowing fans around world experience King’s original sound wherever they may be located today.
The Story Behind the Fire that Gave Lucille Her Name
The story of the fire that inspired B.B. King to name his guitar “Lucille” is shrouded in mystery and folklore. According to some, it all started in a dance hall on one fateful night when two men got into an argument over a woman called Lucille – and began fighting with bottles as weapons.
The wooden dance hall quickly caught fire due to the wild scuffle and chaos ensued as people raced for safety, leaving their possessions behind. In the midst of this mayhem, King realized he had left his beloved guitar inside the building – his most valued possession at that time – so he made a brave dash back into the burning building to save it from destruction. Fortunately, he managed to rescue it before disaster could claim his prized instrument but not without sustaining minor burns himself while doing so.
This remarkable episode was enough for him to dub the guitar ‘Lucille’, both out of respect for her namesake and also as an ode to his own act of courage during such an unpredictable and hazardous situation. Ever since then, King performed with no other than ‘Lucille’ by his side until he donated it posthumously after passing away in 2015 at age 89 years old – almost six decades after that fateful incident which sparked off this incredible story of loyalty between man and machine alike.
Other Famous Guitars and Their Names in Music History
Throughout music history, musicians have often named their instruments. Notable examples of this practice include John Lennon’s “Sean” and Eddie Van Halen’s “Frankenstein”. Most famously though is B.B. King’s guitar, Lucille, which he named after a woman he rescued from an on-stage brawl at a bar in 1949.
Other guitars have been given similarly creative names as well. Jimi Hendrix had a white Fender Stratocaster called “The FIREbird,” while Jimmy Page played his 1960 Gibson Les Paul with the nickname “Number One”. Similarly, Kurt Cobain used a 1959 Mosrite Gospel Model called “Jesus Loves Me” for some of his work with Nirvana. Eric Clapton also had two different guitars which he referred to as Layla and White Room respectively, in honor of two hit songs from Derek and The Dominos album released in 1970.
Perhaps one of the most iconic axes ever created was Slash’s famous top hat wearing Gibson Les Paul dubbed “Appetite For Destruction” due to its presence throughout Guns N’ Roses debut album by the same name that released in 1987. All these musical icons prove that naming your instrument can be not only fun but influential too.
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