Joe Bonamassa to honor B.B. King at sold-out Grammy Museum event

Joe Bonamassa will host a sold-out Grammy Museum program in Los Angeles on Friday, August 28, celebrating B.B. King’s 100th year with special guests Shemekia Copeland and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. The event ties to Bonamassa’s tribute album, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Blues Albums Chart and now anchors a fundraising push for the museum.

Why it matters: - B.B. King’s influence still drives new projects, live events and fundraising around blues preservation. - Bonamassa’s tribute album and the Grammy Museum program bring together major blues, rock and soul names around King’s centennial. - The sold-out event also supports the Grammy Museum through a signed-guitar fundraiser.

What happened: - Joe Bonamassa will appear at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on Friday, August 28, for the sold-out program “Joe Bonamassa Celebrates B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100.” - The event starts at 7:30 p.m. PT. - Special guests Shemekia Copeland and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram will join the program. - Actor and comedian Jeff Garlin will moderate. - The program centers on B.B. King’s life, music and lasting impact. - Bonamassa’s album B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100 is available now digitally, as a double CD and as a 180-gram triple LP vinyl edition. - Shop the album.

The details: - Bonamassa conceived and produced the 32-song project after realizing no recorded tribute to King’s centennial was taking shape. - The album was released earlier this year through Keeping The Blues Alive Records. - The project debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Blues Albums Chart. - The album marked Bonamassa’s 30th chart-topping blues album before The Spirit Of Rory Live From Cork pushed his total to 31. - Bonamassa said the project began in January 2025. - The album was produced with longtime collaborator Josh Smith and had the support of the B.B. King Estate and The B.B. King Music Company. - The guest list includes Eric Clapton, Chaka Khan, Buddy Guy, Slash, George Benson, Gary Clark Jr., Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Shemekia Copeland, Marcus King, Warren Haynes, Keb’ Mo’, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Michael McDonald, Bobby Rush, Larkin Poe, Trombone Shorty, Dion, Paul Rodgers and Jimmie Vaughan, among others. - Copeland appears with Slash and Myles Kennedy on “When Love Comes To Town.” - Ingram opens the project with “Paying The Cost To Be The Boss.” - Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks appear together on “To Know You Is To Love You.” - Gary Clark Jr. appears on “Chains And Things.” - The centerpiece is a new version of “The Thrill Is Gone” featuring Eric Clapton and Chaka Khan, recorded with real strings and horns. - Gibson’s nonprofit Gibson Gives donated an Ebony ES Supreme guitar for Bonamassa to sign and help raise funds for the Grammy Museum. - The guitar is built on Gibson’s ES-335 platform and features a three-ply maple/poplar/maple body, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard, mother-of-pearl inlays, gold hardware and Burstbucker Pro pickups. - Bonamassa’s Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation supports music education programs and musicians in need nationwide.

Between the lines: - The event frames King’s legacy as an active, multigenerational force rather than a historical tribute. - The guest lineup pairs legacy acts with younger artists, signaling how blues continues to move across audiences. - The fundraising element adds a preservation angle to a night built around performance and nostalgia. - Bonamassa’s comments suggest the album was intended to fill a gap in centennial tributes and gather artists around a shared influence.

What’s next: - The live program will unfold Friday night at the Grammy Museum. - The signed guitar will be used to raise additional funds for the museum. - Bonamassa and his collaborators are likely to continue promoting the album as part of the broader B.B. King centennial celebration.

The bottom line: - Bonamassa is turning B.B. King’s 100th year into both a star-studded tribute and a preservation effort, with the album, the live program and the fundraiser all reinforcing King’s ongoing reach.