Joe Bonamassa Announces B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100
Joe Bonamassa, the blues-rock superstar and four-time GRAMMY-nominated artist, yesterday announced the upcoming release of “B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100” on what would have been B.B. King’s 100th birthday. This extraordinary collaborative tribute album, produced by Grammy-nominated duo Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, celebrates the legacy of one of music’s most iconic figures.
Bonamassa is one of today’s most celebrated performing musicians and a 15-time Blues Music Award nominee who has won four times. He achieved his 29th No.1 album on the Billboard Blues Chart with his highly acclaimed 17th studio album “Breakthrough,” which has been described as his most adventurous and genre-defying work to date. Still in his 40s, Bonamassa has already become a living legend with an impressive multi-genre catalogue, having released more than 50 albums, including studio and live recordings, as well as collaborative projects with his side bands Black Country Communion and Rock Candy Funk Party.
Released via KTBA Records, the project launches with the release of its first five tracks and a promise of more to come in the months ahead. A total of 32 songs will be released in monthly instalments through February 2026, culminating in the arrival of the full digital album as well as the Double CD and Triple LP Vinyl on February 6th, 2026.
“Very few people in music define the genre in which they flourish, and B.B. King is one of them,” Bonamassa explains. “When B.B. was alive and active, he was the blues – he was the sun which all planets rotated. Only a few artists are the true north guiding the genre in which they participated, but he was that shining star.”
The album features stunning reinterpretations of King’s most beloved songs by an incredible collection of blues legends, rock icons, soul powerhouses, and rising stars. The first five tracks include collaborations with Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks, Bobby Rush, George Benson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and D.K. Harrell.
This project was truly a labour of love for Bonamassa, who first opened for B.B. King when he was just 12 years old and credits the blues titan with shaping his approach to both music and life. The idea was born when he realised that no major plans had been announced to celebrate King’s 100th birthday. With the blessing of the King estate, he started making calls, beginning with longtime friends and collaborators and eventually reaching out to a wide network of artists whose lives and music had been shaped by King’s influence.
“He mentored me,” Bonamassa recalls. “But I wasn’t the only one. All the people in his orbit have the same story about how kind B.B. was, and how he embraced the younger generation.”
“The Blues are the roots; the rest are the fruits.”
These timeless words from B.B. King capture the essence of his life’s work – reminding us that all music, and indeed much of culture, grows from the Blues.
Vassal Gradington Benford III, Chairman of the Estate of B.B. King, shared his thoughts on the collaboration: “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.”
The result is a carefully crafted project, nine months in the making, with contributions from an impressive roster including Buddy Guy, Keb’ Mo’, Slash, Shemekia Copeland, Marcus King, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Larkin Poe, Jimmie Vaughan, Warren Haynes, Dion, Aloe Blacc, Kirk Fletcher, and many others. Each artist was matched with material that felt personal to them – sometimes surprising – and all were given creative freedom to interpret King’s catalogue through their own artistic lens.
As producer, Bonamassa was determined to preserve the quality and emotional authenticity of the work. Songs like “The Thrill Is Gone” were given the full treatment with real strings, horns, and whatever else was needed to do them justice. “You only get one shot to do this correctly,” he says. “And I think we nailed it.”
The project also shines a light on King’s extraordinary vocal abilities – a talent often overshadowed by his legendary guitar playing. “He’s known as a guitar player, but if Frank Sinatra says, ‘Hey, this is one of my favourite singers in the world,’ you listen,” Bonamassa notes. “He could shake the ground with that chest voice.”
For the participating artists, this project meant much more than just a musical collaboration – it was an opportunity to reflect on King’s cultural and personal significance. Bobby Rush, who first met King in 1948, called him “the man I looked up to all my life” and recalls leading the hearse at his funeral. Kenny Wayne Shepherd shared a touching story about receiving life advice from King on his 16th birthday. Marcus King remembers leaning against the back wall at a B.B. King show as a child, a moment that stayed with him forever.
The album brings together artists from different genres and generations in fascinating ways. Train’s Pat Monahan teams up with guitarist Chris Buck on “Think It Over,” while Shemekia Copeland, Slash, and Myles Kennedy join forces for “When Love Comes to Town.” The album is being released through Bonamassa’s own KTBA Records as part of his ongoing mission to preserve and celebrate the rich culture and history of the blues as a true American art form.
A prolific songwriter who constantly seeks to expand his eclectic musical horizons, Bonamassa maintains a tireless work ethic whether he’s in the studio, on the road, or collaborating with other artists to create new music. In recent years, he has produced numerous albums for artists including Joanne Shaw Taylor, Marc Broussard, Larry McCray, Jimmy Hall, and Robert Jon & The Wreck through his independent labels Journeyman Records and KTBA Records. He has also launched Journeyman LLC, a comprehensive artist management, record label, concert promotion, and marketing company dedicated to building awareness for independent artists worldwide.
The album title pays homage to King’s Grammy-winning 1993 album “Blues Summit.” For Bonamassa, this project represents not an ending but a mission accomplished. “B.B.’s only wish was, ‘Do what you can to keep the blues alive,'” he reflects. “Well, hopefully this album gives a B12 shot to his legacy – and to the legacy of the blues.”
King, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 89, left behind an incredible legacy as a performer, songwriter, and global ambassador for the blues. With over 50 albums, 15 Grammy Awards, and performances in nearly every corner of the globe, he introduced the blues to millions and inspired countless generations of musicians. As Buddy Guy once perfectly put it, “Every electric guitarist you listen to, there’s a little bit of B.B. in there.”
The first five tracks from “B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100” are now available on all digital platforms, with six additional songs set to be released monthly through February 9th, 2026 – when the full album will arrive in both digital and physical formats.
B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 – Full Tracklist
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 & Derek Trucks
4. Let The Good Times Roll feat. Kenny Wayne Shepherd & 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 & 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 & 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
