Lucille: The Love Story Forged in Fire Between B.B. King and His Guitar

In the Pantheon of Legendary Guitars, there are iconic names: “Blackie,” “Frankenstrat,” “Red Special.” But only one name evokes not just a sound, but a love story. A name that belongs to the royalty of blues and was christened in flames. That name is Lucille.

This isn’t the story of a musician and his instrument. It’s the story of B.B. King and his soulmate — a bond so deep that the guitar became a character with its own legend.

Baptism by Fire in Twist, Arkansas

The story of Lucille begins on a cold winter night in 1949. A young B.B. King was performing at a dance hall in Twist, Arkansas. To keep the venue warm, a barrel half-filled with burning kerosene served as a makeshift and dangerous heater in the middle of the floor.

During the performance, two men began fighting — reportedly over a woman. In the chaos, they knocked over the kerosene barrel. Flames quickly spread across the wooden floor, and the venue was evacuated in a panic.

Once safely outside, B.B. King realized something terrible: in his rush to escape, he had left behind his guitar — a cheap acoustic Gibson, but his only means of livelihood. Without thinking twice, and despite the mortal danger, he ran back into the burning building to save it.

The next day, King found out that the fight had been over a woman who worked at the venue. Her name was Lucille. To remind himself never to do something so reckless again — whether running into a fire for a guitar or fighting over a woman — B.B. King named that guitar, and every main guitar he would own for the rest of his life, Lucille.

The Evolution of a Queen

The original Lucille was a modest guitar, but the name stayed with B.B. King as his fame grew. Over the course of his career, “Lucille” was almost always a sleek semi-hollow Gibson, especially the ES-355 model.

This guitar, nearly always finished in flawless black, was the perfect partner for the King of the Blues. Its tone was warm and full, but most importantly, B.B. King worked with Gibson to design a custom model just for him. The most famous modification? The removal of the traditional “f” holes on the guitar’s body. King wanted the sound of a hollow-body guitar, but without the feedback issues that came with the loud volumes his superstar status demanded. Thus, the Gibson “Lucille” became a unique instrument, designed by and for the King himself.

The Voice That Answered the King

If you listen to B.B. King play, you’ll notice that his style is a conversation. First, he sings a line with his powerful voice. Then he lets Lucille “respond.” His guitar didn’t just play notes — it spoke.

With his famous vibrato — a quick and subtle wrist motion that made notes tremble with emotion — and his mastery of saying more with less, B.B. King gave Lucille a soul. She was his confidante on stage, his voice when words weren’t enough. It was, in every sense, a love story that lasted over 60 years.

The Legacy of an Eternal Love

Lucille is much more than a guitar. She’s a symbol of devotion — a reminder that the most treasured objects are the ones we’re willing to risk everything for. She’s the protagonist of one of the most beautiful and human stories in music history.

At Guitar Legends Hall, we pay tribute to the royalty of blues and to the guitars that, like Lucille, became legends in their own right. Come and feel the emotion of the music born from the heart.

Buy your tickets here and meet the Queen of the Blues up close!