Why Did B.B. King Name His Guitar Lucille?

Few musicians are as inseparable from their instruments as blues legend B.B. King and his beloved guitar Lucille. Widely hailed as the “King of the Blues,” King introduced millions to the raw emotion and lyrical power of the blues, melding the traditional Mississippi Delta sounds of his childhood with gospel, jazz and rhythm and blues. But the 16-time Grammy winner (including a 1987 lifetime achievement award) didn’t do it alone. By his side—always—was Lucille, the curvy black Gibson guitar that became almost as famous as the man who played her.

Over decades of performing and recording, Lucille became an extension of King’s voice, channeling emotion with every bent note and signature vibrato phrase. “When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille,” he was often quoted as saying. Together, they defined a guitar style that influenced generations of blues and rock musicians, from Eric Clapton to Jimi Hendrix to John Mayer.

The oft-told story began in 1949, when young Riley B. King—soon to be known as B.B.—was performing at a small dance hall in Twist, Arkansas, and two men began fighting over a woman. The scuffle knocked over a kerosene barrel used for heating, sparking a fire that engulfed the hall. King fled outside with the crowd, only to realize he had left behind his prized Gibson guitar. He ran back to retrieve it, narrowly escaping death as the building began collapsing around him. The next day, after learning the fight had erupted over a woman named Lucille, he gave the name to his guitar—and every one that followed—“to remind me not to do anything like that again,” he told David Letterman in a 1983 interview.

Not only did the name ensure he would never forget the fiery incident, but it transformed his guitar from a mere instrument into a lifelong companion and muse. King’s first Lucille was a modest Gibson L-30. Over the years, most of his Lucilles were Gibson semi-hollowbody models, especially the ES-355. In 1980, Gibson introduced the official “B.B. King Lucille” model: an ES-355 with his preferred modifications—including omitting the f-holes to reduce feedback, key to his warm, crisp tone. Variants later followed, including the “Super Lucille,” a “King of the Blues” edition and a limited 80th Birthday Lucille in 2005.

B.B. King’s signature sound—defined by clear, fluid single-note lines, expressive bends and vocal-like phrasing—was inseparable from Lucille. The guitar’s consistent tone helped cement his identity. Whether performing in smoky Delta juke joints, elegant concert halls or international festivals—he was usually on the road more than 300 nights a year—King used Lucille to carry the blues far beyond its Southern roots. She became iconic in her own right, appearing on album covers and tour posters. In 1987, King even gifted a Lucille to Pope John Paul II. She wasn’t just a guitar; she was a symbol of the genre’s resilience and its ability to bridge cultures.

Lucille might tell tales of the night in 1967 when King met and shared the stage with English blues guitarist Eric Clapton at New York’s Cafe Au Go Go. (King recalled that Jimi Hendrix was also in on that jam.) Or she might revel in B.B.’s most famous duets, like when he traded searing licks with fellow bluesman Buddy Guy at the B.B.’s namesake blues club in Memphis in 1993. King was known for his wide-ranging musical collaborations, with artists from Stevie Wonder to Etta James to U2.

King played an 80th Birthday Lucille as his main stage guitar from 2005 until it was stolen from his home in the summer of 2009. That fall the guitar surfaced in a Las Vegas pawn shop. Eric Dahl, the collector who bought it, noticed its faded finish and unusual Prototype 1 stamp, sparking an investigation. Gibson later confirmed it was King’s missing Lucille. Dahl returned it to King in November 2009. Overjoyed, King thanked him by gifting a signed Lucille in return.