The song of the day for Saturday, September 16, 2023, is “Let The Good Times Roll.”

About Today

Today we are pleased to honor the late (and great) B.B. King (Riley B. King), who was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi on September 16, 1925. King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and is one of the most influential blues musicians of all time, earning the nickname “The King of the Blues.”

About This Song

This song, known as a “jump blues” song, was written in 1946 by Sam Theard, a New Orleans singer and songwriter, with his wife, Fleecie Moore. Residents and visitors to New Orleans may be more familiar with the French version of the saying: Laissez le bon temps rouler. The first recording was in 1946 by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five. The song charted well on the Billboard R&B chart. Other recordings include those by Ray Charles, George Fame and the Blue Flames, Muddy Waters, and Clifton Chenier. B.B. King recorded “Let The Good Times Roll” in 1999.

About This Version

Tony Bennet and B.B. King recorded “Let The Good Times Roll” in May 2001 for the album Playin’ With My Friends: Tony Bennett Sings The Blues. And Bennett certainly could sign this blues, exemplified on this album.

Playin’ With My Friends: Tony Bennett Sings The Blues won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Album.

“Let The Good Times Roll,” as well as Playin’ With My Friends, is available on Apple Music.

This video clip from the film Legends of Rock ‘n’ Roll shows B.B. King performing “Let The Good Times Roll,” filmed in Italy in 1989.