SHORT TAKES : B. B. King Cancels Appearances

Diabetes forced blues guitar legend B. B. King to cancel weekend appearances at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and all performances for the next several weeks, event officials said. King was scheduled to perform Friday night at the River Tent in downtown New Orleans and was to have closed the festival’s Saturday show at the Fair Grounds.

King suffered a diabetes attack Friday in Las Vegas and canceled three weeks of engagements, Jazzfest executive producer George Wein said. Wein said King’s manager told him the musician’s condition was serious but not life-threatening.

A spokesman for King could not be reached for comment.