The scene is Farm Aid, 1985, attended by a crowd of 80,000 people. The song is “How Blue Can You Get.” And the key moment comes at the 3:10 mark, when the blues legend B.B. King breaks a guitar string, then manages to replace it before the song finishes minutes later. All the while, he keeps the song going, never missing a beat and singing the blues. Enjoy.
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletter, please find it here. Or follow our posts on Threads, Facebook, BlueSky or Mastodon.
If you would like to support the mission of Open Culture, consider making a donation to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your contributions will help us continue providing the best free cultural and educational materials to learners everywhere. You can contribute through PayPal, Patreon, and Venmo (@openculture). Thanks!
Related Content:
B.B. King Plays Live at Sing Sing Prison in One of His Greatest Performances (1972)
The Thrill is Gone: See B.B. King Play in Two Electric Live Performances
Chuck Berry Takes Keith Richards to School, Shows Him How to Rock (1987)
B.B. King Plays “The Thrill is Gone” with Slash, Ron Wood & Other Legends
Man, that was so cool! Smooth…and oh how he sells it at the end. Thanks for that find.