B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100, the star-studded tribute album to late blues icon B.B. King that acclaimed guitarist Joe Bonamassa helped oversee, got its release on Friday, February 6. Leading up to the arrival of the 32-track collection, five monthly installments of multiple advance tracks were issued digitally.
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Among the songs making their debut as part of the full-length album is a cover of King’s classic 1969 ballad “The Thrill Is Gone” featuring two Rock & Roll Hall of Famers—Eric Clapton on lead guitar and Chaka Khan on vocals.
In a recent interview with American Songwriter, Bonamassa said that the rendition of “The Thrill Is Gone” was certainly a highlight for him while putting the album together. Joe shared that he was of two minds when it came to deciding the guest artist or artists who would record the famous tune.
“One, you have to go full icon, and that’s acceptable,” he maintained. “’Cause it’s such an iconic song. It’s B.B.’s signature song. Or, you find some unsuspecting young blues guy, or artist that has no idea what they’re signing up for, and make him the sacrificial lamb. So, I didn’t want to do that.”
Bonamassa continued, “So, I’m glad we ended up getting … Chaka and Erica. I mean, come on … that’s as good as it gets. And she sang the hell out of it. She just sang the hell out of it.”
More About the Cover of “The Thrill Is Gone”
Bonamassa told American Songwriter that when Khan was asked to sing “The Thrill Is Gone,” she agreed to do it on one condition.
“Chaka said, ‘I’ll only sing ‘The Thrill Is Gone’ if Eric Clapton plays it,’” Joe recalled. “I said, ‘Well, I may know someone who can get in touch with him.’ And that was pretty much it. And I was like, ‘Hey, Eric.’”
Bonamassa also shared one of his favorite moments during the recording session.
“Chaka Khan, being in the studio with her,” he said, “[And] watching her chain smoke at Henson Studios in L.A. with not a care in the world.”
Songfacts: The Thrill is Gone | B.B. King
King recorded this live at The Coconut Grove in 1976 with fellow blues legend Bobby “Blue” Bland. B.B. had to be begged by Bobby to play the tune, and after some chiding, he agreed. During the performance Bobby Bland noticed a woman named Viola singing in the audience and brought her up on stage.
Meanwhile, Bonamassa issued a statement about “The Thrill Is Gone” in conjunction with its release as part of the B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 album.
“You can’t do a B.B. King tribute record and not do ‘The Thrill Is Gone,’” he said. “It’s such an iconic song, and it’s a big ask. For Eric Clapton and Chaka Khan doing ‘The Thrill Is Gone,’ we used real strings, real horns. The budget was whatever it cost, because you only get one chance to do this correctly. And I think we nailed it.”
More About “The Thrill Is Gone”
“The Thrill Is Gone” was co-written by blues musician Roy Hawkins with Rick Darnell, and was an R&B hit for Hawkins in 1951. B.B. King’s version appeared on his 1969 album, Completely Well. It became King’s highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 15 in 1970. The song also reached No. 3 on Billboard’s R&B chart that year.
More About the ‘B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100’ Album
B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 was organized as a celebration of the 100th anniversary of King’s birth. Bonamassa co-produced the project with his frequent collaborator Josh Smith. B.B.’s actual 100th birthday was September 16, 2025, and details about the album were officially announced that day. In addition, the first series of advance monthly digital tracks was made available on September 16.
B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 features versions of many of King’s most famous songs performed by artists from various genres. The contributors include blues veterans, rock legends, acclaimed soul artists, and up-and-coming blues musicians and singers.
Here’s just a partial list of musicians appearing on the album besides Clapton and Khan: Paul Rodgers, Michael McDonald, Buddy Guy, Slash, Myles Kennedy, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks, Dion, George Benson, Warren Haynes, Train, Jimmie Vaughan, Bobby Rush, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Larkin Poe, Keb’ Mo’, Gary Clark Jr., Ivan Neville, Kim Wilson, Marcus King, and Aloe Blacc.
The album’s title is a nod to King’s Grammy-winning 1993 album, Blues Summit. B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 is available now as a two-CD set, a three-LP vinyl package, and via digital formats.
King died in May 2015 at the age of 89. During his long career, he scored dozens of R&B hits, and won 15 Grammy Awards. He also influenced countless artists in various genres.
‘B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100’ Two-CD Track List:
Disc 1
- “Paying the Cost to Be the Boss” – featuring Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
- “Don’t Answer the Door” – featuring Marcus King
- “To Know You Is to Love You” – featuring Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks
- “Let the Good Times Roll” – featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Noah Hunt
- “Sweet Little Angel” – featuring Buddy Guy
- “When It All Comes Down (I’ll Still Be Around)” – featuring Larry McCray
- “When Love Comes to Town” – featuring Slash, Shemekia Copeland & Myles Kennedy
- “The Thrill Is Gone” – featuring Chaka Khan & Eric Clapton
- “Watch Yourself” – featuring Jimmie Vaughan
- “Why I Sing the Blues” – featuring Bobby Rush
- “Sweet Sixteen” – featuring Jimmy Hall & Larry Carlton
- “Don’t You Want a Man Like Me” – featuring Larkin Poe
- “I’ll Survive” – featuring Keb’ Mo’
- “Heartbreaker” – featuring Trombone Shorty & Eric Gales
- “There Must Be a Better World Somewhere” – featuring George Benson
- “Chains and Things” – featuring Gary Clark Jr.
Disc 2:
- “How Blue Can You Get” – featuring Warren Haynes
- “You Upset Me Baby” – featuring Chris Cain
- “Ghetto Woman” – featuring Ivan Neville
- “Night Life” – featuring Paul Rodgers
- “Ain’t Nobody Home” – featuring Jade MacRae & Robben Ford
- “Bad Case of Love” – featuring Joanne Shaw Taylor
- “Never Make a Move Too Soon” – featuring Dion
- “Three O’Clock Blues” – featuring Marc Broussard
- “Think It Over” – featuring Train & Chris Buck
- “It’s My Own Fault” – featuring Kim Wilson
- “Every Day I Have the Blues” – featuring D.K. “Harrell
- “Please Accept My Love” – featuring John Nemeth
- “So Excited” – featuring Aloe Blacc
- “When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer” – featuring Dannielle De Andrea
- “Playin’ with My Friends”
- “Better Not Look Down” – featuring Kirk Fletcher
(Photo by Robert Sebree; Photo by Nick Nelson)
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