B.B. King’s 1984 Chevrolet El Camino

The King of Blues, B.B. King passed late Thursday night at the age of 89. King was a was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. His devotion to his music continued into his later years performing up to 300 concerts a year into his 70’s. Needless to say, B.B. King was passionate about his music.

But what few people know about the King was that he also enjoyed a bit of the car culture himself. Not much is known about how many cars King owned throughout his career but what we do know that he owned at least three special cars.  A 1984 Chevy El Camino, 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible and a 1978 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost.

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The Cadillac Convertible was a must have for the best singers at the time.A similar 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible was also owned by another King, the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley.

The ’78 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost was an expensive car during its time and certainly was fitting for a king (pun intended.) After all, here was a man who just a few decades ago was driving a tractor for his employer.

But then we find out later in his life when B.B. King was 71 years old, King bought and restored a 1984 Chevrolet El Camino. At least one Las Vegas resident remembers seeing the King driving around Las Vegas in it after its restoration.

1984 was a special year for the El Camino. It was the last year Chevrolet built the El Camino here in America before outsourcing labor to Mexico.

In 1998, Rolling Stones did an article on the King which included this apt description of B.B. King and his infamous El Camino. 

"The motor was built in 1984, the last year that Chevy made its low-riding half-car/half-pickup, the El Camino. This one has been overhauled and painted a baby blue that vibrates against the parched ochers and reds. An elderly black man in soft, expensive clothes is driving; his only air conditioning is the masterful cool of Mitt Jackson’s vibraphone floating from the dashboard. Painted on the truck’s side are two small musical notes that announce to the rattlesnakes, the roadrunners, the sleepy buzzards:"

So where is this El Camino now. Supposedly it resides in Tupelo, Mississippi at the Tupelo Automobile Museum next to his Rolls Royce.

Click here to check out the latest photo album of B.B. King’s 1984 El Camino

Although the legend has passed on, his music and a few of his cars will live on.

Check out this in-depth tour of a similar 1984 Chevrolet El Camino by SaabKyle04.