B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in the heart of New York City's Times Square will shut its doors this month after 18 years in business, citing rising rents in the neighborhood it says it helped revive. Since opening in 2000 on West 42nd Street, the club named for the late blues icon has played host to Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Jay-Z and other influential acts.
The club said on Tuesday that its final show will take place on April 29 with blues legend Buddy Guy. Rick Ross, Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh and George Clinton are also slated to perform in the venue's final weeks. A new location in Manhattan is being sought, but no other details were given.
"Despite many sold out shows, the [Times Square] location's rent escalated to an unsustainable level, leaving us no choice but to close our doors," said Tsion Bensusan of venue operator TSE Group. "Unfortunately this has become a growing trend in New York City, with other iconic music venues and businesses falling victim to opportunistic property owners. This venue’s legacy extends much further than the stage, playing a role in Times Square’s revitalization two decades ago. It is a shame that wasn’t taken into consideration regarding its future in the area."
The B.B. King Blues Club & Grill is now independent from the B.B. King's Blues Club chain, which launched in 1991 on Beale Street in Memphis and currently has locations in Nashville, Orlando, New Orleans and Montgomery, Ala.
King died in May of 2015.
To Our Valued Patrons,
It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share that after 18 wonderful years bringing you live performances by some of the most talented names in music and entertainment, we have announced our final run of shows in the current Times Square location. As a result of escalating rent, we are being forced to close our doors at the end of April. While we are in the process of selecting a new location in Manhattan to relocate the venue, we wanted to curate a special closing week celebration to thank you all for your support over the past two decades. None of this would have been possible without you and we are eternally grateful!
The celebration will consist of performances by Rick Ross (4/23), Slick Rick & Doug E Fresh (4/25), El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico (4/26), George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic (4/28), and Buddy Guy (4/29), who will be headlining the final B.B. Blues Club show. See below for the current schedule and ticket links.
All shows scheduled beyond the April 29th closing date will be moved to various venues throughout the city. The weekly Sunday Gospel Brunch featuring The Harlem Gospel Choir will give their two final performances on April 22nd & 29th, and we are currently working with the group to find a new home for their weekly residency which will be announced shortly. Lucille's Grill, located inside the venue, will remain open until April 29th and will feature sets by club favorites B.B. King Blues Club All-Stars, Jon Paris, A Decade of Soul, and more.
We look forward to celebrating the past and looking toward the future with you all. Your patronage means the world to us and we cannot thank you enough. We will see you soon!
Sincerely,
The B.B. King Blues Club & Grill Family
https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8347122/bb-king-blues-club-nyc-closing-rent-times-square
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