bbkings

B.B. King's closing at the end of April; Buddy Guy, George Clinton, Rick Ross & more playing final shows

The Revolution @ BB King’s, 2017 (more by PSquared)

B.B. King Blues Club and Grill opened in 2000 on 42nd St in NYC, right around the time Times Square was starting to become a little less run-down, nestled on a block that had The Lion King, Madame Tussaud’s and two brand new giant multiplexes. Sadly, the club is closing at the end of April, as they announcement:

To Our Valued Patrons,

It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share that after 18 wonderful years bringing you live performances by some of the most talented names in music and entertainment, we have announced our final run of shows in the current Times Square location. As a result of escalating rent, we are being forced to close our doors at the end of April. While we are in the process of selecting a new location in Manhattan to relocate the venue, we wanted to curate a special closing week celebration to thank you all for your support over the past two decades. None of this would have been possible without you and we are eternally grateful!

The celebration will consist of performances by Rick Ross (4/23), Slick Rick & Doug E Fresh (4/25), El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico (4/26), George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic (4/28), and Buddy Guy (4/29), who will be headlining the final B.B. Blues Club show. See below for the current schedule and ticket links.

All shows scheduled beyond the April 29th closing date will be moved to various venues throughout the city. The weekly Sunday Gospel Brunch featuring The Harlem Gospel Choir will give their two final performances on April 22nd & 29th, and we are currently working with the group to find a new home for their weekly residency which will be announced shortly. Lucille’s Grill, located inside the venue, will remain open until April 29th and will feature sets by club favorites B.B. King Blues Club All-Stars, Jon Paris, A Decade of Soul, and more.

We look forward to celebrating the past and looking toward the future with you all. Your patronage means the world to us and we cannot thank you enough. We will see you soon!

Sincerely,
The B.B. King Blues Club & Grill Family

Namesake owner B.B. King died in 2015. As the club mentions, they have put together a final week of special shows that begin with tonight and Thursday’s Buddy Guy performances. Here’s the schedule:

April 17 & 18 Buddy Guy
April 22 William Bell’s Memphis Soul Revue
April 23 Rick Ross
April 25 Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh + Special Guests
April 26 El Gran Combo
April 28 George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic + Special Guests
April 29 Buddy Guy

Tickets for those shows are on sale now. We hope you find a new location. Most of the scheduled shows from May on have been moved to Sony Hall. Check out the B.B. King’s calendar for details.