Bluegreen Colorful Places

Love great live music? Ready to dance on your Bluegreen vacation?  Point your car toward the oh-so-fun B.B. King’s Blues Club on International Drive.

Who is B.B. King and why does he have a Blues Club?

His guitar is named Lucille, and he’s widely regarded as the reigning King of the Blues. We’re talking about none other than Mr. B.B. King, a 15-Grammy award winner beloved around the world. If anyone knows how to throw down a good time, it’s Mr. King and the Orlando blues club bearing his name. B. B. King’s Blues Club and Restaurant is the city’s prime destination for a rocking evening of live music, great southern food and dancing ‘til the wee hours.

Riley B. King – affectionately known around the world as B.B. – started recording in the ‘40s and has released over 50 albums. Born on a plantation in Mississippi, the young King played for dimes before eventually hitchhiking to Memphis to pursue a career in music. Then the hub of African American music and attracting all the south’s most influential musicians, Memphis was a key component in American musical history. Beale Street, the center of the Memphis music universe, is home to the first B.B. King Blues Club, which has now become the number one attraction in the state of Tennessee.

You’ll find this addictive club located at the north end of International Drive, not far from the Fountains Resort  and just minutes from Sunshine Resort. The supremely talented 11-piece all-star house band, with trumpets, trombone and (of course!) guitars, makes it nearly impossible to sit still. Swinging through this hoppin' little joint is a must during a vacation to Orlando.

The club’s website says it all when claiming ‘Our musicians will remind you why Aretha demanded R-E-S-P-E-C-T, why Tina left her good job in the City, why Ray has Georgia on his mind, and what the Temptations are talking about!’ The club is built in a U-shape around the elevated stage, which means every seat in the house is a good one.

Come hungry because B.B’s menu is chock-a-block with good old fashioned southern favorites: fried dill pickles, sweet potato puffs, beer chili, “lip smacking” ribs, catfish po-boy, collard greens and more sweet tea “than you can shake a stick at.”

Of course, this rollicking club has a full bar, too, with beer, wine and cocktails. We doubt you’ll need a drink to dance, though… the band is just that good. And here’s the best part: because Orlando holds many major concert venues, it’s not unusual for another musical superstar’s house band to sit in, or even take over the stage, for a set. Alan Jackson’s band has done this, as have others, and it’s fun to watch the mutual admiration of the various band members, as well as experiencing a group jam in a genre with which they’re not normally associated.

B. B. King’s Blues Club and Restaurant is sure to make your list of favorite Orlando vacation spots.  The people watching is also fantastic. Take a vacation to Orlando in September and you might stumble onto the eye-popping crowd attending Orlando’s lookalike convention. They converged on the club in 2010 and it was a night to remember. Dancing to the band were Elvis, Rod Stewart, Johnny Depp in full pirate regalia, President Obama, Lady Gaga, Reba McEntire and a host of Hollywood ‘celebrities.’