B.B. King / Lucille

How Dennis Helped Make Happen The B.B. King/ Lucille Gibson Guitar

A Few Good Years In Camelot or Working In Your Favortie Guitar’s Company

It was back in the late 70′s and early 80′s that Dennis was able to really marry his love of music with his business acumen; when he was working at a-Camelot-of-a job at Gibson Guitar (in Sales & Marketing of course).

Quickly, we tell about how he also got to play with many Gibson endorsees i.e., in their “Gibson Guitar Greats Showcase Series”. One such showcase was at the June ’79 international convention of NAMM (National Association of Music Merchandisers) held in Chicago. What a kick it was for pianist-Dennis to be the only keyboardist invited to accompany the following “Guitar Greats”… Howard Roberts, Mike Elliott, Les Paul, Lee Ritenour, Herb Ellis, Al DiMeola, Bruce Bolen, Larry Carlton and of course, his dear longtime friend, B.B. King (who likes to call himself Dennis’ “Second father”).

But, back to about how B.B. was brought into the fold as an endorsee of not only Gibson guitars but their Lab amps, too. (More about Dennis dealing with Dr. Moog, B.B., his amps, etc. will be written later).

WHAT was Dennis’ biggest accomplishment at Gibson? He feels it was getting Gibson to make The B.B.King / Lucille production line model.

WHY?… Because he vowed back in 1965 to B.B., his dear teacher and mentor, that he would be the one “to get Gibson to make King his own signature guitar”. (What’s a signature guitar? Models made and named for an artist i.e., Les Paul, who has his own Gibson model). Dennis felt that Gibson Model ES 355 TDSV should be renamed to honor B.B.King. Warmly called “Lucille” by B.B. and fans alike, “Why not make it official?

HOW?… to get “Lucille” made as a model? His campaign started with letters to Gibson in the early ’70s. It swelled when Dennis went to work for Gibson in ’78. In fact, it was B.B. who had referred him to Gibson’s Bruce Bolen and there’s an interesting story behind how Les Paul got involved. He being “glad to be of service”, as he put it, in helping make all this happen. (But, that’s another story).

WHO?… Success came in a handshake from then Gibson President Bob McRann who told Dennis “Great idea, go do it!” That assignment, along with one to, “Also get B.B.King signed as an endorsee for their Lab amp line”, came about in a very unusual setting. It was while deep sea fishing, amid sharks, 5 hours off the coast of the Panama!

Continuing HOW Dennis-the-salesman came to be Dennis-the-deep-sea-fisher? He had won the Gibson Sales Contest that year. (In fact, he set for himself the goal to win.) All the time he worked for Gibson he had hoped for an audience with the president (so Dennis could discuss his idea for a B.B. King production line model). Well, top prize for him was a trip for two to the plush Contadora Island. Upon arriving at the Fantasy Island-like resort, Dennis learned he had won another top perk: Deep-sea fishing with the president of Gibson. Talk about a captured audience. Chances to chat freely came often, what with only five guests onboard, the McRanns, the Chandlers and Gibson Vice President Jim Whitehall. It was after they were underway, five hours out to sea, that Dennis began to make his case for B.B.King’s guitar, so to speak. There, out in the middle of the ocean came Gibson President McRann’s five words of instruction, “Great idea, go do it!” Dennis finally got the go ahead to make happen what he told B.B. he would do, way back in 1965.

Once he was back state-side, Dennis co-coordinated the initial five days of endorsement/ R&D meetings with the following coming to Cleveland, Gibson Pres. Bob McRann, V.P. Bruce Bolan, Research & Development director Rendell Wall, district manager Lane Zastrow, B.B.King’s manager Sid Seidenberg. The first meeting was held backstage after one of B.B.’s concerts at the Front Row Theater and the second, the next day in B.B.’s hotel suite with all in attendance. More “design days” followed and voila… WHEN was Lucille born? The guitar’s due date was 1980. That’s when B.B. dubbed Dennis “Lucille’s Godfather”.

Still sometimes addressed as “Lucille’s Godfather” by the King of the Blues, Dennis is most deeply touched when B.B. introduces him as “A fabulously talented musician whom I call my adopted son ’cause I like to think I raised him” (and for the past nearly fifty years BB has).

Why doesn’t Dennis just do music business (being “so good at it”, as some say). Because he could never stop playing music; especially after having heard in his head “choruses of praise”. The kind that comes from having a close encounter. It was phrased perfectly by B.B.’s son, Rev. Robert Edwards, who was among the first to encourage Dennis to “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord”. When? Why? Perhaps because he, like others, witnessed that Dennis, in remission from leukemia, appears restored beyond the proficiency he had prior to his illness.

Therefore, since his healing, Dennis’ indeed grateful to perform wherever, whenever and by whoever invites him to… “Make a Joyful noise”. Hence his diverse and busy itinerary.

BUT, business-wise… Dennis still has a dream to honor another dear friend and mentor, Chuck Berry with his own Gibson Signature model guitar. There was once a close encounter where that almost happened. (But, that’s another story…)

Liz Chandler, Web Writer