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B.B. King’s Lucille

and the Loves Before Her

2nd Edition 

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The First Edition of “B.B. King’s Lucille and the Loves Before Her’ was released back in 2013. It was popular with B.B. King, Gibson and Lucille enthusiasts internationally and ultimately sold out. In 2019 I began discussions on an updated 2nd Edition of the book and what that would contain. I partnered with Centerstream Publishing company and began working with a local Nashville, TN book editor at Cronin Creative. Having Hal Leonard Publishing as our distributor is also exciting!

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What I sought to do with this 2nd Edition was to bring the story up to date from where I left off in 2013. This meant new chapters, new images and new blurbs from well-known people who new BB King or worked with him in the past.

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The new Gibson Lucille models that had been released since the first book included the 65th Anniversary model and the Alpine White Lucille. Unfortunately, B.B. King also passed away in 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada and I covered that too.

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A new chapter is also dedicated to my experience at the Americana Awards at the Ryman Auditorium and a visit to the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The values in the book were updated in cooperation with Blue Book Guitars that I still maintain a great relationship with to this day.

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When I began reaching out to people for comments on the book, I wasn’t certain who would respond. Fortunately, the ones that did respond were the best I could hope for. Paul Shaffer, leader of David Letterman’s band/Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was one of the first to get back with me. Followed by Blues Legend, who also toured and was friends with BB, Grammy Award winner Bobby Rush.

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After interviewing Country Music/Southern Rock Artist, Charlie Daniels, multiple times for television over the years I knew how close he and B.B. King were. Daniels had also asked me to send him a signed copy of the First Edition of the book – which of course I did. Being the incredible person that he was Charlie Daniels wrote an entire page about BB, the book and me and I can’t be more thankful. It is on a page of its own after you open the cover of the book. Unfortunately, we also lost the legendary Charlie Daniels in July of 2020.

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After interviewing the CEO of Gibson, JC Curleigh, for a chapter in the book I thought it only fitting the I have a comment from him as well.

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I hope you enjoy this 2nd Edition of “B.B. King’s Lucille and the Loves Before Her,” I’m hoping to do some virtual book signings and work with museums to talk about Mr. King, his Gibson Lucille’s and the book. It’s hard to believe that all of this start from my discovering a stolen 80th Birthday Gibson Lucille in a Pawnshop in Las Vegas back in 2009 and returning it to B.B. King. Thanks for visiting my website, reading my ramblings, buying the book and supporting the Blues and Live Music in general! I already have designs on another upcoming book I plan to start writing on it soon!
 

Purchase Link Below:
https://www.amazon.com
Hal Leonard Article

B.B. King’s Lucille

and the Loves Before Her
 

This was my first book and I hadn’t really considered writing a book before although I had studied journalism in high school and college. The catalyst for writing the book on about B.B. King’s guitars and music gear happened after I returned his stolen 80th Birthday Lucille to him in Las Vegas in November of 2009.

I had purchased, unknowingly, Mr. King’s stolen Lucille from a pawnshop while living in Las Vegas. For two and a half months I researched all things Gibson Lucille trying to determine if he had ever played this 80th Birthday Lucille or had given it away to someone as a gift? Finally, Gibson management and B.B. King’s management got back to me and explained that I had BB’s stolen birthday Lucille that Gibson had given to him. After returning his Lucille back to him in late November of that year my family and I went back to Missouri to spend the holidays with our family.

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That was when the idea struck to me to write a book covering all of B.B. King’s guitars since no one had done that yet to show the evolution of Lucille. I asked Mr. King’s permission to write the book and he encouraged it. Three years later, after many interviews and much research, my first book “B.B. King’s Lucille and the Loves Before Her” was published in 2013.

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The book almost didn’t reach publication as two different publishers rejected it stating that B.B. King wasn’t a big enough name to sell enough books. Fortunately for me both publishers I approached next wanted to publish my book and I ended up working with Blue Book Publications. I didn’t grasp while writing the book or after it was published how many doors it would open for me thanks to B.B. King and his kindness.

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An updated version of this book, with new chapters, is currently with my new publisher, Centerstream Publishing, and I’m hoping it will be in print soon.

I’m also working on my next book on a very popular country artist!

Purchase Link Below:
https://www.amazon.com/B-B-Kings-Lucille-Loves-Before/dp/1936120410

Eric dedicated "B.B. King’s Lucille and the Loves Before Her"

to his father, pictured above is a photo taken in 1982 of them both.
 

BB King 80th Birthday "Lucille'

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