Eric Clapton Pays Tribute to B.B. King: 'He Was a Beacon' ."His music is almost a thing of the past now, and there are not many left that play it in the pure way that B.B. did," guitarist says of his friend and frequent collaborator

Rolling Stone reports:

"I just wanted to express my sadness and to say thank you to my dear friend B.B. King," Clapton said. "I want to thank him for all the inspiration and encouragement he gave to me as a player over the years and for the friendship that we enjoyed. There's not a lot left to say because his music is almost a thing of the past now and there are not many left that play it in the pure way that B.B. did. If you're not familiar with his work I would encourage you to go out and find an album called B.B. King Live at the Regal, which is where it all really started for me as a young player."

In his autobiography, Clapton wrote that B.B. King was "without a doubt the most important artist the blues has ever produced."

He and King first jammed together in 1967, when the then–22-year-old Cream rocker performed alongside the legendary bluesman at New York's Cafe Au Go Go. The two guitar greats continued to perform live together frequently in the ensuing decades. They eventually entered the studio together to record "Rock Me Baby," a track off King's 1997 duets album Deuces Wild. In 2000, Clapton and King teamed for their Grammy-winning album Riding With the King. They partnered once more in the studio for "The Thrill Is Gone," which appeared on King's 2005 LP 80.

A sad day in the world of music.