Las Vegas Weekly

December 13, 2009 · 7:57 AM

Photo Gallery: B.B. King receives royal welcome at Mirage opening

By Robin Leach

Lee Ritenour, Robert Cray, Steve Cropper, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Lee Roy Parnell perform at the grand opening of B.B. King's Blues Club at The Mirage on Dec. 11, 2009.

Photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage

It was a turnout fit for royalty and a night of musical magic. B.B. King’s new jazz and blues club B.B. King’s Blues Club attracted an all-star VIP list for its official grand opening Friday night at The Mirage. It’s B.B.’s fifth music club in the U.S., and at age 84, the King of Jazz and guitar guru god is still going strong.

B.B. uses an electric scooter to get around, but when he takes to the stage, he plays with every ounce of passion his body can bring to the sensational sounds. It was a magnificent opening night with legends Ruby Wilson and Willie Nelson. Palms headliner Matt Goss was upfront close to the stage with Pussycat Dolls creator Robin Antin watching and listening in awe.

I sat with newly single Zowie Bowie singer Chris Phillips before he raced off for his own show at The Pub in the Monte Carlo, and he told me: “It’s fantastic that the Strip now has a genuine blues club.” He predicts many musicians passing through town will hang out there for impromptu jazz sessions.

Friday night’s premiere proved the point, with Willie performing “Always on My Mind” and blues and jazz musicians Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Lee Ritenour, Steve Cropper and Lee Roy Parnell adding to the musical memories of a platinum perfect premiere. Our Senior Editor John Katsilometes also wrote about the grand opening.

Also on the red carpet were Flamingo comedian headliner George Wallace, The Lion King star Kissy Simmons, entertainer and musician Louis Prima Jr., the gorgeous Fantasy Girls from the Luxor and the handsome hunks from Thunder From Down Under, Shar Jackson, comedian Ron White, James Picken Jr. of Grey’s Anatomy, the stars of The History Channel’s Pawn Stars, NASCAR driver Taylor Barton, stars of The Sin City Sinners, Imagine Dragons and The Mirage President Scott Sibella. There’d been rumors that popera singer Andrea Bocelli would show up, as he’d flown in Thursday for his MGM Grand show last night and wanted to hear some good club music. Neither our photographers nor I saw him.

Our contributing photographer Scott Harrison was on red carpet duty for our photo gallery, and leading lens lady Denise Truscello shot the partying celebrities inside.

The King himself chatted with me and said he’d lived in Las Vegas for 30 years, yet finally now had a home on the Strip. “I’ll be here as often as I can,” and added, “Las Vegas has been home to me for a long time, so having a place that’s ‘my house’ on The Strip seems like a perfect fit. Vegas has always been known for amazing live performances and a place musicians love to gather. I know my club will follow in that tradition with music of all genres. Almost every entertainer wants to play The Strip, and for my club to give many artists that opportunity and maybe even a first chance to do that is something I am very proud to play a part.”

The King played for an hour, although he’d said earlier that he would only perform for a few moments. But he got caught up in “The Thrill Is Gone” and closed with “Been Downhearted Baby.”

B.B. King’s Blues Club also serves extraordinary Southern-style Creole food. The fried catfish appetizers and the barbecue sauce on the chicken skewers are superb, heartily recommended and certainly fit for a King.

It was a night of and for nonstop jamming, and it would be tough to find a better opening night party. Las Vegas did itself proud with a hometown hero, and he lived up to his name. The club is now his kingdom, and he’s thrown open the royal playground to friends and fans alike.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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