Estate of Legendary Musician B.B. King Taps Distillery to Launch Whiskey Collection Honoring ‘One of the Greatest Guitar Players of All Time’
The whiskey collaboration with Heritage Distilling was unveiled at an event for B.B. King’s 98th birthday in Las Vegas. (Photo: Matt Igleski/B.B. King Estate/Heritage Distilling)
The B.B. King Music Company and Family Trust announced the launch of a new line of whiskeys in partnership with Heritage Distilling Company. The launch coincided with what would have been the blues legend’s 98th birthday and was announced in a news release on Wednesday.
Vassal Benford, the manager and chairman of the B.B. King Music Company, expressed enthusiasm for the launch, which is one of the first among a litany of other projects including a theatrical biopic film that documents the life and career of the artist.
The pending collaborations were unveiled by King’s estate during The King of Blues’ Birthday Party at Resorts World in Las Vegas.
“We are thrilled to announce this partnership today with Heritage Distilling and we look forward to rolling out the other projects already in development about B.B. and his special brand of blues,” Benford said in the news release.
The brand has not yet revealed any details about the whiskeys.
Heritage Distilling is based in Washington and was founded in 2011 by Justin and Jennifer Stiefel.
Justin Stiefel expressed plenty of enthusiasm regarding the partnership honoring the legendary blues artist.
“On behalf of the 140 employees at Heritage Distilling Company, we are honored that the B.B. King Estate and B.B. King Music Company chose us to partner on the release of these specially created bourbons and whiskeys to celebrate the legacy of one of the greatest guitar players of all time,” said Heritage Distilling’s CEO and Co-Founder, Justin Stiefel in the news release. “At Heritage Distilling we say, ‘Every spirit has a story,’ and I know that B.B. King’s music has inspired countless stories, memories and experiences for millions of fans and budding guitarists around the world.”
Heritage Distilling made headlines in August for launching a partnership with the Tonto Apache tribe and building a distillery and tasting room near the tribe’s facilities in Arizona.
The brand partnered with the Chehalis Tribe in 2018 to overturn draconian laws banning distilling practices on tribal lands.
About B.B. King
B.B. King was born on September 16, 1925, as Riley B. King. The artist chose the initials “B.B,” which stood for “Blues Boy,” according to the New York Times.
He began his career playing in juke joints and would often play 200-300 shows a year. He rose to fame in the 1960s and ’70s and was said to influence artists like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.
The musician is known for hits like “The Thrill Is Gone,” “Sweet Little Angel,” and “Rock Me Baby.” Though he married twice, one could argue his guitar — which he named Lucille — was his great love.
B.B. King won 15 Grammy awards and was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his achievements. He passed away in May 2015.
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