B.B. King, whose scorching guitar licks and heartfelt vocals made him the idol of generations of musicians and fans while earning him the nickname King of the Blues, died late Thursday in Las Vegas.

I just got back from my second trip to the Katy Jazz festival, run by a school district just West of Houston. It was time for a jazz fix. You see, I am a jazz fan, and though not compulsive, I do need to dash occasionally to New Orleans.

Singer Errol Brown, who fronted the pop and disco group Hot Chocolate from the late Sixties through the early Eighties, has died. His greatest legacy is that his music will live on. Favorite song: Emma