This fun and fashionable “Route 66” themed short sleeve, collared button down in size XXL was owned and worn by B.B. King.

B.B. King, internationally renowned as “The King of the Blues” is one of the most toured headliners in popular music history. Amazingly, In 1956 alone, he appeared at 342 shows. With an estimated 10,000+ concerts over his 65 career, appearing on average at more than 200 concerts per year into his 70s, it would be fitting to also refer to him as “The King of the Road”.

From his roots in Mississippi to every corner of the country, King brought the blues to nearly every major city and venue across the continental United States and beyond. For a man so well traveled, it’s safe to say “The King of the Blues” certainly got his kicks on Route 66.

The highway became one of the most famous roads in the United States, originally running from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before terminating in Santa Monica. King is assumed to have played 100’s of shows and spent countless hours letting the good times roll, riding the tour bus along the famous highway getting from gig to gig.

While it is unknown how the shirt was acquired, it is evident King wore this shirt with an affinity for and surely fond memories of his time on and along the famous roadway.

B.B. King


B.B King, born Riley B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer, known worldwide as “The King of The Blues” and highly regarded as one of the most influential musicians in popular music history. B.B. King has defined the blues for a worldwide audience, mixing traditional blues, jazz, swing, mainstream pop and jump into a unique sound he has been referred to as “the single most important electric guitarist of the last half of the 20th century”.

He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimmering vibrato and staccato picking that influenced many later blues electric guitar players including Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Jeff Beck, Santana, SRV, John Mayer and thousands more. In B.B.’s words, “When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille”, referencing his beloved guitar he famously named after rescuing from a burning Twist, Arkansas dance hall in 1949.

In a career that spanned 8 decades, King rose to international fame and acclaim, amassing an unmatched legacy, playing an average of 250 shows per year, releasing over fifty albums and winning 15 Grammys. His numerous honors include The Presidential Medal of Freedom, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Kennedy Center Honors, Living Legend Medal from The Library of Congress, Inductions into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Blues Hall of Fame, and honorary doctorates in Music from Yale University, Brown University, and Berklee College of Music. In 2011, Rolling Stone ranked King at No. 6 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

This is an online only sale. Items may be viewed upon appointment in New York City.

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