Joe Bonamassa announces Eric Clapton collaboration
It appears on the 'B.B. King's Blues Summit 100' album
Last updated 18th Nov 2025
Joe Bonamassa has joined musical forces with Eric Clapton on a version of the blues standard ‘The Thrill is Gone.’
To celebrate what would have been B.B. King’s 100th birthday back on Tuesday 16th September, Joe Bonamassa announced he will release a star-studded 32-track tribute album called ‘B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100’ on Friday 6th February.
Artists who perform B.B. King songs alongside Joe Bonamassa include Slash, Myles Kennedy, Paul Rodgers, Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Keb' Mo', Marcus King, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Larkin Poe, Warren Haynes, Chris Buck, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Robben Ford and Gary Clark Jr.
Joe Bonamassa has now confirmed that Eric Clapton will play guitar on ‘The Thrill Is Gone’ on the album, while the Queen of Funk herself, Chaka Khan, sings vocals.
Written by West Coast blues musician Roy Hawkins and Rick Darnell in 1951, B.B. King released his version of ‘The Thrill Is Gone’ in 1970 and it became one of his signature songs.
80-year-old Eric Clapton recorded the collaborative album ‘Riding with the King’ with B.B. King in 2000, and it scooped a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album the following year.
‘The Thrill Is Gone’ will be released with the full album on 6th February, however Joe Bonamassa has newly premiered the next five songs from the record.
They are ‘Sweet Little Angel’ feat. Buddy Guy, ‘Don’t You Want A Man Like Me’ feat. Larkin Poe, ‘Heartbreaker’ feat. Trombone Shorty & Eric Gales, ‘Watch Yourself’ feat. Jimmie Vaughan, and ‘When It All Comes Down (I’ll Still Be Around)’ feat. Larry McCray.
Watch the video for ‘Sweet Little Angel’ feat. Buddy Guy here:
Joe Bonamassa performed as a support act for B.B. King when he was just 12 years old, and he credits the blues legend with shaping his approach to music and life.
“He mentored me,” says Bonamassa. “But I wasn't the only one. All the people in his orbit have the same story about how kind B.B. was, and how he embraced the younger generation.”
Joe Bonamassa’s ‘B.B. King’s Blues Summit 100’ track-listing:
DISC ONE:
Paying The Cost To Be The Boss feat. Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Don’t Answer The Door feat. Marcus King
To Know You Is To Love You feat. Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi & Derek Trucks
Let The Good Times Roll feat. Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Noah Hunt
Sweet Little Angel feat. Buddy Guy
When It All Comes Down (I’ll Still Be Around) feat. Larry McCray
When Love Comes To Town feat. Slash, Shemekia Copeland & Myles Kennedy
The Thrill Is Gone feat. Eric Clapton and Chaka Khan
Watch Yourself feat. Jimmie Vaughan
Why I Sing The Blues feat. Bobby Rush
Sweet Sixteen feat. Jimmy Hall & Larry Carlton
Don’t You Want A Man Like Me feat. Larkin Poe
I’ll Survive feat. Keb’ Mo’
Heartbreaker feat. Trombone Shorty & Eric Gales
There Must Be A Better World Somewhere feat. George Benson
Chains And Things feat. Gary Clark Jr.
DISC TWO:
How Blue Can You Get feat. Warren Haynes
You Upset Me Baby feat. Chris Cain
Ghetto Woman feat. Ivan Neville
Night Life feat. Paul Rodgers
Ain’t Nobody Home feat. Jade MacRae & Robben Ford
Bad Case Of Love feat. Joanne Shaw Taylor
Never Make A Move Too Soon feat. Dion
Three O’Clock Blues feat. Marc Broussard
Think It Over feat. Train & Chris Buck
It’s My Own Fault feat. Kim Wilson
Every Day I Have The Blues feat. D.K. Harrell
Please Accept My Love feat. John Nemeth
So Excited feat. Aloe Blacc
When My Heart Beats Like A Hammer feat. Dannielle De Andrea
Playin’ With My Friends
Better Not Look Down feat. Kirk Fletcher
The real names of 100 rock stars, including Eric Clapton:
Cozy Powell’s real name: Colin Trevor Flooks
Alex Lifeson’s real name: Alexandar Živojinović
'Lifeson' is a semi-literal English translation of the Yugoslavian surname Živojinović, which means 'son of life'
Ginger Baker's real name: Peter Edward Baker
John 5’s real name: John William Lowery
Yngwie Malmsteen’s real name: Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback
Rudy Sarzo’s real name: Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont
Eric Carr's real name: Paul Charles Caravello
Vinnie Vincent’s real name: Vincent John Cusano
Tina Turner’s real name: Anna Mae Bullock
King Diamond’s real name: Kim Bendix Petersen
Joey Tempest's real name: Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson
Michael Monroe’s real name: Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm
Mikkey Dee’s real name: Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou
Jonathan Cain’s real name: Jonathan Leonard Friga
Nikki Sixx's real name: Frank Ferrano
Steven Adler’s real name: Michael Coletti
Axl Rose's real name: William Bruce Rose
Bon Scott's real name: Ronald Belford Scott
Fish’s real name: Derek William Dick
Eddie Vedder's real name: Edward Louis Severson III
Peter Criss’ real name: George Peter John Criscuola
Freddie Mercury's real name: Farrokh Bulsara
Flea's real name: Michael Peter Balzary
Perry Farrell's real name: Perry Bernstein
Geddy Lee’s real name: Gary Lee Weinrib
Mick Mars' real name: Robert Deal
Tré Cool's real name: Frank Edwin Wright III
Courtney Love's real name: Courtney Michelle Harrison
Pat Smear's real name: Georg Albert Ruthenberg
Gene Simmons' real name: Chaim Klein Witz
Spike’s real name: Jonathan Gray
Iggy Pop's real name: James Newell Osterberg, JR.
Alice Cooper's real name: Vincent Damon Furnier
Slash's real name: Saul Hudson
Mike Dirnt's real name: Michael Ryan Pritchard
Ronnie James Dio's real name: Ronald James Padavona
Brody Dalle's real name: Bree Joanna Alice Robinson
Skin's real name: Deborah Anne Dyer
Nicky Wire's real name: Nicholas Jones
Amy Lee's real name: Amy Lynn Hartzler
Bill Wyman's real name: William Perks
Izzy Stradlin's real name: Jeffrey Isbell
Paul Stanley's real name: Stanley Eisen
Vince Neil's real name: Vincent Neil Wharton
Duff McKagan's real name: Michael McKagan
Jack Black’s real name: Thomas Jacob Black
Lemmy's real name: Ian Fraser Kilmister
John Paul Jones' real name: John Baldwin
Joan Jett's real name: Joan Larkin
Eric Clapton's real name: Eric Patrick Clapp
Siouxsie Sioux's real name: Susan Janet Ballion
Rachel Bolan’s real name: James Richard Southworth
David Bowie's real name: David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones
Little Richard's real name: Richard Wayne Penniman
Sid Vicious' real name: John Simon Ritchie
Ace Frehley's real name: Paul Daniel Frehley
Lou Reed's real name: Louis Firbank
Joe Strummer's real name: John Graham Mellor
Marc Bolan's real name: Mark Feld
The Edge's real name: David Howell Evans
Meat Loaf's real name: Marvin Lee Aday
Steven Tyler's real name: Steven Victor Tallarico
Ozzy Osbourne's real name: John Michael Osbourne
Jon Bon Jovi's real name: John Francis Bongiovi
Joey Belladonna’s real name: Joseph Bellardini
Jack White's real name: John Anthony Gillis
Bono's real name: Paul David Hewson
Sting's real name: Gordon Sumner
Billy Idol’s real name: William Michael Albert Broad
Geezer Butler’s real name: Terence Butler
Pat Benatar’s real name: Patricia Mae Giraldo
Bo Diddley’s real name: Ellas McDaniel
Muddy Waters’ real name: McKinley Morganfield
Stevie Nicks’ real name: Stephanie Lynn Nicks
Doro’s real name: Dorothee Pesch
Sebastian Bach’s real name: Sebastian Philip Bierk
Joe Perry’s real name: Joseph Pereira
Jimi Hendrix’s real name: James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix)
Zakk Wylde’s real name: Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt
Maynard James Keenan’s real name: James Herbert Keenan
Blaze Bayley’s real name: Bayley Alexander Cooke
Biff Byford's real name: Peter Rodney Byford
M. Shadows' real name: Matthew Charles Sanders
Syd Barrett's real name: Roger Keith Barrett
Chris Jericho's real name: Christopher Keith Irvine
Ginger Wildheart's real name: David Leslie Walls
Paul Di'Anno's real name: Paul Andrews
Phil X’s real name: Theofilos Xenidis
Peter Green’s real name: Peter Allen Greenbaum
Nicko McBrain’s real name: Michael Henry McBrain
Noddy Holder’s real name: Neville John Holder
Steel Panther’s real names
Michael Starr: Ralph Michael Saenz, Satchel: Russell John Parrish, Stix Zadinia: Darren Leader, Spyder: Joe Lester.