Would you spend Thanksgiving in a prison? 🦃

B.B. King did.

And it turned into one of his most memorable & iconic shows. He said it was his greatest live performance ever.

Takeaway: When you shine the light on others this Thanksgiving, the more it comes back on you.

Here’s the backstory:

BB King & Joan Baez played a remarkable concert at New York’s Sing Sing prison on Thanksgiving in 1972, which he called the best performance of his career.

King started performing in prisons three years earlier with a desire to spread the love of blues to those who need it the most.

This particular concert took place during a period of increasing incarceration rates in the United States. Some ~1,200 inmates were in the audience.

He started the show by saying, “I was told that some of you dudes don’t know anything about blues…I came to swap some with you. I imagine quite a few of you dudes have the blues already.”

King’s performance at Sing Sing was well-received by the inmates and it provided them with a sense of hope and an all-too-rare recognition of their humanity.

King’s compassion for prisoners made him see them as human beings, which was not the common view at the time.

Documentary director David Hoffman captured the entire concert on film “SING SING THANKSGIVING,” showcasing the powerful impact of the performance on both the audience and the performers.

After a rebellion in which several inmates had been killed, Hoffman led filmmaking classes. Hoffman stuck with it. And he ultimately filmed the B.B. King concert with 5 hand held cameras.

This filmmaker started with trying to do good in his local community. And the universe rewarded him by giving him an opportunity to produce & document music history.

This video clip from King’s Concert at Sing Sing is a stunning portrayal of his passion and humanity towards inmates.

Learn more about this special project ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gqUYke32

What will you do with yours?

#music #musicmonday #musicproducer #portfoliocareer #thanksgiving