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"The Thrill is Gone"

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“The Thrill Is Gone” was originally co-written by West Coast blues pianist & songwriter Roy Hawkins along with songwriter Rick Darnell. Hawkins recorded the song himself in 1951 and the song rocketed to #6 on the Billboard R&B chart. However, it is the legendary recording by the King of the Blues, Mr. B.B. King, that has etched it in the history books of American popular song. King recorded “The Thrill Is Gone” in June of 1969 for his album Completely Well. Not only did the song reach #3 on the R&B chart, but it crossed over and made it all the way to #15 on the Billboard Hot 100, a rare feat for a straight blues song. B.B King won the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for the recording, and the song was listed in the top 200 of Rolling Stone magazine’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” Undoubtedly, “The Thrill Is Gone” still thrills listeners just as much in 2016 and will continue to do so well beyond in the future.