Slash says B.B. King was the first traditional blues artist he encountered and became his favourite blues guitarist, after his grandmother played King’s music to him as a child. The account highlights the lasting influence of King’s expressive playing on Slash’s musical identity and helps explain the blues foundations of his rock guitar style.

Slash later performed with King, including at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2011 alongside Ronnie Wood, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi. He described King as generous and hardworking, and said he admired both King’s commitment to touring and the similarities he hears between King’s playing and that of Jimmy Page.