B.B. King will be memorialized in Memphis Wednesday with a musical tribute at WC Handy Park and a walking processional down Beale Street.
The blues musician died on May 14 in Las Vegas, where a viewing and memorial service were held Friday and Saturday. There will be no public viewing of King’s remains in Memphis.
His body will arrive in Memphis by airplane and, then, be transported by hearse to Indianola, Miss. for a public viewing at the B.B. King Museum on Friday, May 29 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 30 at Bell Grove Missionary Baptist Church from 11 a.m.-3p.m.
On Wednesday, video salutes to King and clips of his performances will begin at Handy Park at 10:30 a.m. The Memphis Musical Tribute to King will begin on the stage in Handy Park at 11 a.m. The program will include performances by blues musicians and remarks from King’s friends and supporters.
The processional will begin after the tribute ends at 12:30 p.m. The processional will be led by a person carrying King’s guitar, Lucille, followed by brass band comprised of local and regional musicians. The hearse will be at the center of the processional.
A car processional will follow, led by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton. The group will deliver King’s remains to the Mississippi state line.
The event is free and open to the public. Participants are asked to wear blue in honor of King, the “King of the Blues.”
