B.B. King cancels remaining tour dates due to illness

[October 07, 2014]  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Legendary blues guitarist B.B. King has canceled the remaining performances of his current tour after falling ill on stage during a performance in Chicago, according to his website.

King, 89, was playing on Friday night at the House of Blues when he felt sick.

"He was immediately evaluated by a doctor and diagnosed with dehydration and suffering from exhaustion, whereby causing the eight remaining shows of his current tour to be canceled," his website said.

No other information on his condition was immediately available.

King, who was born in Mississippi and has been called the "King of the Blues," is considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He was ranked No. 3 by Rolling Stone magazine in 2003, behind only Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman.

He has influenced many other guitarists, including Eric Clapton, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

The documentary film, "BB King: The Life of Riley," recounts his life from working in the cotton fields of America's South to international stardom.

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; Editing by Dan Grebler)

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