Cover by Leonardo Vergni The Thrill Is Gone" is a blues song written by Rick Darnell and Roy Hawkins in 1951 and popularized by B.B. King in 1970. The song was first recorded by Roy Hawkins, its co-author, and became a minor hit for the musician. B.B. King recorded his version of the song in June 1969 for his album Completely Well, released the same year. The song's polished production and use of strings marked a departure from both the original song and King's previous material. When released as a single in December 1969, the song became the biggest hit of King's career (#3 R&B / #15 Pop) and his signature song. B. B. King's recording earned him a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and a Grammy Hall of Fame award in 1998. King's version of the song was also placed at number 183 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs ever. Memorable live versions of the song were included on King's albums Live in Cook County Jail (1971), Bobby Bland and B.B. King Together Again...Live (1976), and Live at San Quentin (1991). The song has been covered by numerous artists since B. B. King's hit version, including Peggy Lee (1970), Aretha Franklin from Spirit in the Dark (1970), Little Milton (1973), Stan Webb (1973), Luther Allison (1979), Steven Brown (Half Out, 1991), The Manhattan Transfer (1995), Dishwalla (1995), Diamanda Galas (1998),[1] Jerry Garcia and David Grisman (1990s), Harry Manx (1990s), Willie Nelson (2000), Mary Coughlan (2001), The Marshall Tucker Band (Stompin' Room Only 2003), Pappo (Buscando un amor, 2003), Buckethead (2004), The Eric Steckel Band (Havana, 2006), Leslie West (Got BLOOZE 2005), Theo Sinton (Emerald Blues, 2008), Anthony Gardner (2009).
