BB King Kodalith Performance - Orange Jacket, LA Forum, 1969
By Glen Craig
About the image
BB King during a performance at the LA Forum. Captured as he opened for the Rolling Stones during their legendary 1969 US Tour, they each played two shows at the Forum on November 8, 1969.
Already an accomplished Blues musician of more than twenty years, at this point in his career, BB King was beginning to break through to more mainstream audiences, so he gladly accepted the Rolling Stones invitation to perform on their tour.
Soon after the tour, BB King's version of "The Thrill is Gone" was released which reached #3 on the R&B Charts and #15 on the Billboard Top 100. It also won the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 1970.
This image was shot using Kodak Kodalith Film, a high contrast material frequently used in Graphic Arts which was one of Glen Craig's strengths both in school and professionally. This is a fabulous example of the capabilities of this medium, the color is added later.
This colorized version was used on the front cover of the 4 channel reel-to-reel stereo tape release of "BB King Live in Japan, 1971," recorded live at Sankei Hall, Tokyo, in March, 1971. In 1999 this album was reissued in the USA, and this image appeared on the front cover.
Over the years, this image, along with the other colorized Kodalith and Glen's "Guitar Starlight" images have graced the covers of 47 BB King LPs, CDs, and DVDs.
Release Notes:
Glen Craig Photographs are printed to order in New York, please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. Each photograph is hand-signed and numbered by the photographer.
Buyers will receive a certificate of authenticity following delivery. Please contact us with any questions!
In addition to the standard photographic sizes below, this image is available to be custom-printed in an extra-large format and can be printed on a variety of media such as metal or canvas. Please contact us to discuss options!
Have a question?
BB King Kodalith Performance - Orange Jacket, LA Forum, 1969