Twist, Ark., honors B.B. King
The Arkansas Legislature has approved a $5,000 expenditure to build a monument honoring bluesman B.B. King in the tiny Delta town of Twist.
More than 50 years ago, King’s famed guitar Lucille earned its name after a dance hall brawl in Twist. King’s trademark Gibson guitars have been called Lucille ever since.
“B.B. put Twist, Ark., on the map,” Allan Hammons, interim director of the planned B.B. King Museum in Indianola, Miss., said Thursday. “I think it’s very important that the state of Arkansas took the opportunity to memorialize that great American story.”
State Sen. Steve Bryles said that he pushed the funding through for the monument because too little is known of King’s connection to the state. Bryles hopes the marker will draw tourists to the area.
Hammons said the $10-million museum and Delta cultural center is set to break ground June 10. He said Arkansas’ efforts highlight another part of King’s legacy.
“Fate was kind to him,” Hammons said of the 79-year-old blues singer.
“The guitar got a name and Twist was known around the world. It is a piece of American history.”
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
