Joe Bonamassa has delivered something that will be talked about for a long time. ‘B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100’ is out now, a 32-track, 40-plus artist tribute to B.B. King built from scratch to honor the centennial of one of music’s most towering figures. Curated and produced by Bonamassa alongside co-producer Josh Smith, the album brings together an intergenerational cast spanning blues, rock, and soul in what Bonamassa himself calls “the greatest gathering of blues artists in the last 50 years for a bespoke album that started from scratch.”
The centerpiece is impossible to overstate. “The Thrill Is Gone,” featuring Eric Clapton and Chaka Khan, arrives as the long-anticipated anchor of the entire project. Real strings, real horns, and a production approach built entirely around giving two legendary artists the space to honor one of the most iconic songs in the blues canon. “You can’t do a B.B. King tribute record and not do ‘The Thrill Is Gone,'” Bonamassa says. “The budget was whatever it cost, because you only get one chance to do this correctly. And I think we nailed it.”
The project began in January 2025 when Bonamassa realized that, despite King’s towering stature, no serious musical tribute was taking shape around the centennial. The first tracks were released on September 16, 2025, King’s 100th birthday, and the album unfolded in stages over the following months, allowing individual performances to stand on their own before the full scope came into view. Esquire named it among the Most Anticipated Albums of 2026. CBS Mornings explored Bonamassa’s personal history with King, who first invited him on tour at age 12.
That relationship is the beating heart of the entire project. Bonamassa’s early mentorship under King shaped his understanding of responsibility and stewardship within the blues community, values that guided every creative decision here. “We weren’t making sound-alikes,” he notes. “We played it in the spirit of B.B. King, but we did our own versions.” The result is an album that honors the source without being imprisoned by it. Each of the 32 tracks carries its own personality while serving a shared purpose.
The guest list reads like a who’s who of blues and rock royalty. Buddy Guy, Gary Clark Jr., Keb’ Mo’, Derek Trucks, George Benson, Warren Haynes, Slash, Larkin Poe, Trombone Shorty, Paul Rodgers, Jimmie Vaughan, Bobby Rush, and many more all showing up and, as Bonamassa puts it, bringing their A-game. Proceeds from the album support the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, extending King’s legacy through education, preservation, and direct support for musicians. ‘B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100’ is available now on digital platforms, double CD, and 180-gram triple LP vinyl.
‘B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100’ Tracklist:
Disc 1:
Paying The Cost To Be The Boss feat. Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Don’t Answer The Door feat. Marcus King
To Know You Is To Love You feat. Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks
Let The Good Times Roll feat. Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Noah Hunt
Sweet Little Angel feat. Buddy Guy
When It All Comes Down (I’ll Still Be Around) feat. Larry McCray
When Love Comes To Town feat. Slash, Shemekia Copeland & Myles Kennedy
The Thrill Is Gone feat. Chaka Khan & Eric Clapton
Watch Yourself feat. Jimmie Vaughan
Why I Sing The Blues feat. Bobby Rush
Sweet Sixteen feat. Jimmy Hall & Larry Carlton
Don’t You Want A Man Like Me feat. Larkin Poe
I’ll Survive feat. Keb’ Mo’
Heartbreaker feat. Trombone Shorty & Eric Gales
There Must Be A Better World Somewhere feat. George Benson
Chains And Things feat. Gary Clark Jr.
Disc 2:
How Blue Can You Get feat. Warren Haynes
You Upset Me Baby feat. Chris Cain
Ghetto Woman feat. Ivan Neville
Night Life feat. Paul Rodgers
Ain’t Nobody Home feat. Jade MacRae & Robben Ford
Bad Case Of Love feat. Joanne Shaw Taylor
Never Make A Move Too Soon feat. Dion
Three O’Clock Blues feat. Marc Broussard
Think It Over feat. Train & Chris Buck
It’s My Own Fault feat. Kim Wilson
Every Day I Have The Blues feat. D.K. Harrell
Please Accept My Love feat. John Nemeth
So Excited feat. Aloe Blacc
When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer feat. Dannielle De Andrea
Playin’ With My Friends
Better Not Look Down feat. Kirk Fletcher