INTERVIEW: Thomas Oliver On The King Of Blues BB King

Every musician can probably trace back to the moment they were first inspired to pick up an instrument. It's usually that first special gig your parents took you to or that iconic first album that took your breathe away and laid permanent foundations in your soul. For Thomas Oliver of The Thomas Oliver Band no other artist has shaped his musical landscape quite like iconic Blues legend BB King. We sat down with Thomas and asked him a few questions about why he loves BB King and what the King of Blues means to him.
 

What does BB King mean to you?
B.B. King is the first Blues artist I ever listened to, and subsequently the one who made me love the genre. For me, he encompasses the identity of the genre, and he totally embodies its integrity. In my eyes, he also represents the fact that the language of the Blues is a very refined one, and doesn’t need to be more so to convey a huge amount of emotion.

What was the first record of BB King’s you heard?
My parents had a record called Masters Of The Blues - Vol. 1, which I presume was released some time around 1966, and was a collection of some of his works until then, like ‘Please Love Me’, ‘Rock Me Baby’, ‘Every Day I Have The Blues’ and ‘Sweet Little Angel’. The first time I heard it, I dug it. The second time I heard it, I loved it. And the third time, I wondered if I would ever hear anything that awesome again.

What's your favourite BB King song?
‘My Own Fault’ - ‘Please Love Me’ ain’t far behind, either.

BB King - My Own Fault

How significant is it for a blues artist like BB to be inducted into not only the Blues Hall of Fame, but also the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
It is significant in its acknowledgement of the unparalleled importance of B.B King in the Blues, and subsequently the significance of Blues in the evolution of Rock & Roll, and subsequently the importance of B.B. King in the history of Rock & Roll.

Have you seen him live before?
I wish!

BB King continues to tour after decades in the business. In your opinion, what is it about him that allows him to continue to play to sold out shows around the world?
People will always want to roll with the King. I think that, no matter where the genre has evolved to, or in what ways it has digressed, people will always want to witness he who so markedly encompasses the genre.

BB King has his famed Lucille guitar - do you have a special instrument you will always keep?
I just got a new Tony Francis Style 4 Weissenborn replica (a lap-slide guitar). I can’t think of any reason to ever sell that. It’s mighty fine.

The Thomas Oliver Band's debut record Baby, I’ll Play is out now.

Be sure to catch BB King live at The Civic in Auckland on Sunday 24th April. Tickets available from The-Edge.