tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight, we conclude our conversation with one of the country's greatest musicians, bb king. at 87, he is still touring and playing the incomparable style of guitar that has made him a hero to musicians who try to emulate his distictive sound. he is in the rock 'n roll hall of fame and a recipient of many grammy's. he has been awarded the presidential fellowship of the arts. so much to talk about with the king of the blues, the great bb king. coming up right now. ♪

>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: we are back with night two of our conversation with the king of the blues, bb king. that i wastell you watching one of my favorite tv "sanford other night,

and sons." do you remember riley king? >> he was a good friend. good friend. and he could say anything. he would come around to some places i was playing and he would be -- tavis: you told me that he played banjo himself. i never knew that. was he pretty good? >> i thought he was because i cannot play at all. [laughter] tavis: that was smooth how you did that. conversations to a about what you do play and lucille. i suspect that every bb king fan in the world has heard this story at least more than once. but for those who have never heard the story of how lucille

got to be named lucille -- >> everybody that looks at me i am talking about my guitar, it is always lucille. they look at me like that. then i tell them how i gave the name lucille to my guitar. we were playing out near a place called twist, arkansas. and they had a place for you to dance like over here. and you eat over here. that is where i stayed at most times when i was not on stage. a stage smaller than this. and i would go in and start to play and eat. eat and play. tavis: sounds good to me. >> and two guys got to fighting.

they do quite a bit of that in mississippi and louisiana. and arkansas. when these guys started, they had a big pail sitting in the middle of the floor. and one knocked the other one over on this container. when he did, it spilled on the floor. everybody started running out, including me and i forgot my guitar. i had never done it before and have never done it since then. but i went back in and got my guitar and i almost lost my life trying to save it. i named the guitar lucille because these two guys were fighting about a lady

that worked in the place where they cooked the food. i named my guitar lucille to remind me never to do that again. tavis: you almost lost her life going back in to get your guitar. you named it lucille and it has stuck all of these years. how do you assess, how does bb king assess his playing now versus back in the day? are you still getting better? are you still learning? >> i am still learning. but i think i am pretty good now. [laughter] tavis: even at this age? >> i do learn. what is this age stuff? tavis: i am just saying. you have been doing this 60 years. >> i might have some young girls in here. tavis: you have taught everybody everything you know. what are you still learning?

>> i did not do it intentionally. they just got me. tavis: i saw you a few years ago, you may recall. you were playing in berlin. i landed in berlin. i am checking into my hotel. i see a newspaper on the counter with a picture of you and i could not read it of course, but i could tell that you were in town. i asked the person at the hotel checking me in, i said, is bb king here and where is he playing? the lady picked it up and she was like, he was just here. he just left. i was like, i came to berlin for the first time and i missed him? she said, i am mistaken. tonight is his last night. i got on the phone and started calling your people. they got in touch with your

people and i got a chance to see you in berlin. it was interesting to me because i got a chance to see you play in front of a european audience. what is the difference for you playing in europe versus playing here? >> i had not played for white people. when i started playing in berlin, i had mostly white people. we had some black people in the service there. they came out and the wives would come out. tavis: that was your first time playing for white people en masse? fast forward all years later from when you first started. the audiences that come to see you now. what do you make that, these days, a genre that we created is celebrated, in many ways, a lot

more by white folks than by us? >> i do not know why that is, but i am glad it is. tavis: why are you glad about that? >> i get more people. tavis: i got it. you got the black and the white. you can pick your audience. >> and they pay well. tavis: i am sure they pay well. the white folk always pay well. >> do you know what you just said? i thought you said i like black people who pay well. tavis: i like everybody who pays well. pay me and i will show up. but it raises a serious question. what do you think happens to the art form long-term if it is not appreciated by our people the way it should be?

>> well, we have so many white people now that play. if you want to hear some good playing, you go to the white people and listen. tavis: how much do you love eric clapton? >> more than i care to tell you. they may think i am funny. tavis: he feels the same way about you, obviously. he talks about it all the time. >> when i first met him, i guess he must've been about 17, 18. we became friends right off. i could tell then that he liked to play blues. every time he was with me, we always played blues. but i can play a few other things. but i have been known as a blues singer. i think it is ok. tavis: what else can you play that people might not be aware of? >> bad.

[laughter] tavis: rare form again tonight. i am just trying to navigate my way through it. i love it. we talked last night about the fact that, when you were a kid, you played a little bit of gospel. >> i thought i was pretty good. that was a group called the golden gate quartet. and the soulsters. i like all of the groups that i mentioned just now. -- i made a to play gospel record. with a groupuitar behind me. i thought it was pretty good. tavis: how have you maintained such a vigorous schedule? i am trying to imagine how you have stayed on the bus, planes,

trains, automobiles, still doing it at almost 88. >> you are wondering how i did it? tavis: you never get tired of doing it? you never thought of retiring? >> you cannot retire when you are broke. [laughter] not yet. you being serious about that or are you pulling my leg? >> i am very serious about it. tavis: it goes back to the conversation we had last night about the fact that so many artists back in the day got ripped off icons are promoters, record companies. 88, you no reason, at should not have to play if you do not want to play. years,ans that, over the you have not made the kind of money that you deserved to have made. >> maybe i made it but did not get it.

tavis: fair enough. i take that point. >> but i really do like to play. they used to say, practice every day. i did it with no bad thoughts about it he cause i love to play. tavis: you do not practice any more, do you? >> i practice, but they do not see me practice. tavis: in your hotel room or something. >> usually i have a room on the bus. -- quartered off and three or four guys can sleep. i cannot sleep so well because i have been in many automobile accidents. i am so afraid. i hate to admit it, but i am scared. was there a particular

accident that spook you? what happened? >> sort of like morgan -- with hisrgan freeman, arm injury. you have an arm injury? >> all the way, it starts back here. -- i forgottell me the number of stitches it was, but that is what i had. the last one was from here to about here. and the doctors, we were near shreveport, louisiana. the doctors had a knife like a butter knife and they started doing this with it. i thought they were not paying much attention to me. they were starting to get the

glass out. and they said they had to hurt me. so they could tell where the glass was. ain't been back to them no more. is a harrowing story about an accident on a tour bus in your career. that arm was damaged, but obviously not damaged so badly that you could not recover and still play. what would you have done if your arm had been so damaged that you could not play guitar know more? >> i probably would have gone back to picking cotton. tavis: if your arm is messed up, you could not do much of nothing with it. >> not as much as the day before, but it seemed like it was good as a practice. i was trying to get at with that question, if something had happened to you in the midst of your playing days and you could not lay any more, how that would have impacted you? >> i would go fishing.

you don't need a hand to fish. you would have been ok with it? >> no, but i would have to do something deep or it -- something to eat. last time i saw you must've been a month ago. we were honored on this tv program. my staff photographer for this tv show is the youngest child of the great civil rights icon. niecnees is my mitt -- his e is my makeup artist. they are all friends with bb king for many years. the last time i saw you was a month or so ago. you were in mississippi for the 50th anniversary of the horrible assassination and you were there

to receive an award and i was honored to present to you. >> i am glad somebody woke you up. tavis: i was about a sleep, man. i was taking pictures the whole time. >> what, germany? tavis: we had a good time at this anniversary. i am only raising that because i wonder, over the years, how you have used your music -- charles everest always thanks you for this. >> one of my best friends. tavis: he says you were one of the people in the civil rights community that can be called upon and you were there. >> i did not do it as much as i should have. i wanted to. i should have done much more than i did. tavis: why do you say that? >> i see so many things happening that is good. and black people were the cause

of it. that makes me almost cry. a lot of times i could have gone and i did not. and i feel bad about it. all of the things that was done marches,d a lot of the white and black, march when i should have. there were a few times when i did. it thatver did any of would have made things better for us that you guys did. tavis: not as much as you should have. i take that and that is courageous of you. a lot of transparency in what you just said. i appreciate that comment. the flipside is that, as an artist, i always talk about artists being our best representation.

you got a chance to say things , to show that we were so much more than people thought we were. that is a contribution in its own way, is it not? >> yes, it is. is onei suspect that regret that you have, but i suspect that of all you have done in this life of yours, that you probably do not have too many regrets. you seem to have done things your way. you have other regrets? >> yeah, many. i should play guitar much better than i do. tavis: come on, man. >> i am serious. statement, to me, is a joke. >> i was not joking. tavis: let me take you seriously for a second. what could you have done to play any better than you play now? >> track is more. -- practice more.

you tell me you do not practice when you are alone and nobody hears you? tavis: that is true. but i am not the king of the blues. i have not sold records. i am not beloved everywhere i go. people stand up and cry when you walk in. you have had a huge impact on people's lives. but io not cry about it, wish i had practiced more. i tried to play like everybody i heard. wound up not being able to play like any. tavis: in the process of all of that, trying to be a copy, you turned yourself into an original. >> i guess i did. lot of peoplet a that you finally got what you were looking for with your signature sound. ri those who do not know how

king, does bbe bb stand for anything? >> blues boy. i thought you said you were a fan. yous: i am trying to hype up. you are not cooperating. i wonder whether riley king would sound as good as bb king. >> i do not think so. tavis: i do not think so either. i am not trying to talk about your name -- >> are you trying to put me down? i am not going to say no more. tavis: that works. i was looking at your long list of honors and accolades. you have been awarded with every possible thing you could receive. as you look back on your career,

is there something in particular that you are most proud of? on the downside, you wished you had practiced more. at on the upside, what are you most proud of? >> i have had so many friends and so much help from so many people. that is the one thing that i am proud of. that they areink joking when they mentioned the things i have done and they are praising me for it. i did not go to college, i did not finish high school. had honorary degrees from -- tavis: everywhere. everywhere. i saw the list. >> ok. yale. started off with tavis: and when down from there. yale is pretty high up there. >> i had one from brown. i think there are a few more.

so you intend to play until you cannot play no more? >> i get scared about that sometimes. i get pretty hard on the drivers. do not slam the curve. if i could make the money you and some of those other guys have -- tavis: this is public television, man. you ain't on abc. this is pbs, man. but with or without money, are you committed to playing -- are you going to die with the sale in your hands -- with lucille in your hands? >> i hope i don't, but i would not mind if i did. tavis: a fitting way to go? >> yeah. not comehope it does

anytime soon. >> i take pretty good care of myself. your birthday is two or three days before mine. i feel pretty good when i go places. one thing i notice people do for ofnow that i am really proud , any time i am at a studio or playing a juke joint or wherever i am playing, when my name is mentioned, people will stand. that makes me feel good. tavis: i have seen that more times than i can count. >> makes you feel very good. tavis: you are the king of the blues, whether you want to a knowledge that or not. >> if you do it. tavis: i will do it again. the king of the blues has been here for two nights. and i loved every minute of it. i feel honored. i do not know what i have done in my life that allows me to

come into the circle with bb king. i am so honored that i got a chance to meet him and consider myself a friend of bb king. >> i consider you one myself. tavis: i am glad we found a chance to do this for a couple of nights. you know you have an open invitation to come back anytime. >> really? who at your house cooks? tavis: i can work that out. mama, bb king wants to come by for dinner tonight. she is in mississippi now so you know she could cook. we can take care of that too. >> my mother was very good with that. she did not teach me to do nothing but boil eggs. tavis: and eat. i love you and i'm glad you came. >> thank you. you are a pretty handsome guy too. tavis: i appreciate that.

i want to be like you when i grow up. i want to walk in a room and have people stand up too. i do not mean stand up and walk out, just stand up. [laughter] that is our show. thanks for watching. e goes out on the weekends and comes back home with her hair she comes back and says i'm half dead. mama, you know i'm strong, mama ♪ >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with dr. oz as his daytime series returns for a fifth season. that is next time.

we will see you then. ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. pbs. >> be more. pbs. cer:

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