B.B. King died on Thursday (May 14) from a series of small strokes. The official cause of death is known as multi-infarct dementia, or vascular dementia.

According to Billboard, the diagnosis was made by Dr. Darin Brimhall and Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg. Brimhall said that the reduced blood flow that stemmed from his diabetes. King had been suffering from type 2 diabetes for many years.

In a career that spanned nearly 70 years, King went from being a sharecropper's son to -- as a guitarist, singer and bandleader -- arguably the most famous ambassador of the blues the world will ever know. With "Lucille," his black Gibson ES-355, his string of hit records from the '50s through the '70s were enormously influential to decades of blues, rock and soul musicians, many of whom jumped at the chance to work with him when the opportunity presented itself.

Those who knew B.B. King spoke not only of his talent but also the warmth, humility and generosity he extended to them over the years. People from Eric Clapton to Carole King to Slash to Flea went on social media to describe how much his music and friendship meant to them.

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