B B King: Clapton is a better guitarist

B.B. King ranked Number Three behind Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman in Rolling Stone magazine's most recent poll of rock's best guitarists. He told us that he was honored by the selection, but would not have placed himself so high:
[ click here to listen if you have a Backstage Pass] "Well, I liked it very much, but I learned a long time ago you don't... Any time people are positive with you, the critics, you let go. But had they asked me, I wouldn't have put me nothing like up that high. I would've thought that Eric Clapton and quite a few others would've gone ahead of me there. But, since they said it, hallelujah!"

King collaborated with Eric Clapton on the Grammy-winning 2000 album, Riding With The King.

Clapton is also one of the guests on King's new duets album, B.B. King & Friends - 80, which will be released September 16th. Others joining him in honor of his 80th birthday include Elton John, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, John Mayer, Van Morrison, Roger Daltrey of the Who, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Sheryl Crow, and Daryl Hall.

King's summer tour finishes on Wednesday, August 17th at Snow Park Lodge in Deer Valley, Utah.