Nationwide — Medical examiners say that they have found no evidence to prove that blues legend B.B. King was poisoned before he died of natural causes back in May 2015. Various tests conducted consistently showed that his causes of death were Alzheimer’s disease, coronary disease, heart failure and the effects of Type 2 diabetes.
Brent Bryson, a lawyer for King’s estate, says the claims were defamatory and libelous. He commented, “Ms. Toney and Mr. Johnson are very happy that these false and fictional allegations that were made against them by certain of Mr. King’s children have been dispelled. Hopefully we can now focus on the body of musical work that B.B. King left the world, and he can finally rest in peace.”
Another of his daughters, Rita Washington, commented, “I’m glad it’s natural causes. We just didn’t know what was going on and what had happened with our father.”
B.B. King died in hospice care at home in Las Vegas at the age 89. More than 1,000 fans and mourners attended his public viewing in Las Vegas, and the next day more than 350 people attended a memorial in a downtown Las Vegas funeral chapel. A Beale Street procession and memorial also took place in Memphis, Tennessee, followed by burial in King’s hometown of Indianola, Mississippi.
About his career
During his career which started in 1949, B.B. King released more than 50 albums and performed at 200 to 300 concerts per year even into his 70’s. In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and is considered one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, earning the nickname “The King of the Blues”. He also appeared in several television commercials for OneTouch Ultra and Toyota.