Iconic guitarist B.B. King has been hospitalized over the weekend for a diabetes-related emergency, his rep confirmed.
B.B. King was reportedly rushed to a hospital in Las Vegas. A representative for the legendary guitarist told TMZ on Monday, April 6, that King remained hospitalized at a medical center near his home. The 89-year-old King of the Blues' health emergency was reportedly the result of dehydration from his Type II diabetes. King has lived with the condition for over two decades.
After he fell ill during a performance in Chicago, King had to cancel eight performances on his tour last fall, according to JustJared. After canceling his tour, the blues musician said he was enjoying some down time by listening to music and watching movies. King confirmed at the time that he was doing all right. King, who was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in 1990, has been a spokesman for the Life Scan One Touch Ultra blood glucose meter.
As of Monday night, no update has been posted on King's website.
Born Riley B. King, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee was ranked No. 6 by Rolling Stone on its 2011 list of the 100 greatest guitarist of all time. King was already ranked No. 3 in the 2003 edition of the same list. Some of his hits comprises of 1950s R&B piece "Three O'Clock Blues," 1970s "The Thrill Is Gone," and 1989s "When Love Comes To Town," for which he teamed up with U2.
According to King's official website, he kickstarted his recording career in the 1940s and has released more than fifty albums. Gibson ranked the "King of the Blues" B.B. King among the best guitar players of all time.
Newsday wrote that King was heckled at a concert at St. Louis' Peabody Opera House after he rambled, sometimes in low tones, onstage, and played a shaky song 45 minutes into the set. He reportedly continued to behave strangely through the show.
Just days later, the King of the Blues apologized to his fans and his rep issued a statement explaining that Kind had missed a dose of his prescribed medication on the day of the performance. According to the statement, the show did not match King's usual standard of excellence due to the combination of the long drive to the venue and high blood sugar, as he had not taken his prescribed medication.
