The ‘Thrill’ Continues! On Feb. 15th at 8pm, the iconic music of BB King comes alive when the original BB King Blues Band comes to town, featuring the one and only Tito Jackson. The concert is at downtown St. Pete’s premiere waterfront venue, Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater.
For over half a century, BB King and BB King’s Blues Band defined the blues to the world, averaging over 250 sold out concerts per year, with classics like “The Thrill is Gone,” “Every day I have the Blues,” “How Blues Can You Get,” and “Why I Sing The Blues.”
Bandleader James “Boogaloo” Bolden played with BB King 35 years, and is still going strong on trumpet/lead vocals/backing vocals. Born in Houston, TX, James Bolden began his musical training under the guidance of Edmund C. Broussard. Bolden later seized the opportunity to study classical trumpet under Houston Symphony trumpeter Richard Schafer. James went on to play with local union bands that performed with a wide array of artists such as Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes, Temptations, Supremes, Spinners, and James Brown. Bolden eventually was given the opportunity to join the Duke Ellington Orchestra where he thrived for years. Bolden later joined the band of B.B. King and became bandleader during a stint of over 35 years. James Bolden now continues his association with B.B. King by joining B.B. King’s Band as bandleader. Legendary superstar and pop music icon, Tito Jackson, of the pop super group The Jackson 5 and The Jackson’s, has just released his third solo album “Tito Time,” featuring “One Way Street,” “When the Magic Happens,” featuring Jocelyn Brown, and “Get it Baby,” featuring Big Daddy Kane. Tito has just teamed up with the legendary BB King’s Blues Band to tour and promote his newest album; along with carrying on the legendary music of The Jackson 5, The Jackson’s, and BB King.
Jackson joined the B.B. King Blues Band in 2017 where they rehearsed in Memphis, home to the B.B. King Museum and the legendary American blues singer’s grave. Tito is a blues man at hear and said, “I’ve always been a blues player ever since the day I picked up the guitar…B.B.King was my hero when I was just a young man, maybe 7 or 8 years old.” In honor of B.B. King and his legendary guitar Lucille, Tito has his own Gibson guitar personally made and named it Katie, which is what most people call his mother.”
Article by Nanette Wiser