B.B. King, Jeff Beck to play Hinckley
HINCKLEY -- The King of the Blues, B.B. King, will present his Blues Festival at 2 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Grand Casino Hinckley Amphitheater. Guitar star Jeff Beck, funk band Galactic and soul-funk group Mofro also will perform.
Tickets are $32, $39 and $48. Visit the Grand Casino Hinckley or Grand Casino Mille Lacs box offices, or call Ticketmaster at (651) 989-5151, contact any Ticketmaster outlet or visit ticketmaster.com for tickets.
Since the 1940s, B.B. King has been bringing the sound of Memphis -- where he once sang for tips on Beale Street -- to a broad American audience that has made his songs such as "The Thrill Is Gone" and "When Love Comes to Town" blues classics. King has recorded many hits on his own and in recent years has been joined in the studio by legends such as Eric Clapton, U2 and Etta James. This is King's fifth appearance at Grand Casino Hinckley.
When music historians write about the top guitarists of a generation, Jeff Beck is often listed along with Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. A rising star in the British rock scene of the '60s, Beck joined the Yardbirds in 1965, succeeding Clapton. Within a few years he formed a band that included vocalist Rod Stewart and bassist Ron Wood, who eventually joined the Rolling Stones. Beck's guitar virtuosity drew wide acclaim over the following decades and won a Grammy for best instrumental in the late 1980s.
Galactic is a horn-fueled, six-piece funk ensemble that debuted in 1994. The band tours regularly and has recorded two acclaimed albums. Known for its mix of Southern soul, blues and funk, Mofro released its first album in 2001. The group is based in Florida.