Entertainment

B.B. King’s Family Loses Bid for Control of His Affairs

Published

11 years ago

May 8, 2015

Patty King, daughter of B.B. King, cries while leaving Clark County Family Court Thursday, May 7, 2015, in Las Vegas. A dispute over B.B. King’s health and wealth has been tossed out of court by a judge in Las Vegas who says two investigations didnt find the blues legend is being abused. Thursday’s court ruling keeps Kings longtime business manager, Laverne Toney, in legal control of King’s affairs. Kings doctor says the 89-year-old musician is in home hospice care. (AP Photo/John Locher)

KEN RITTER, Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Noted blues man B.B. King — his health failing at age 89 — is in the middle of tug of war between some of children and his longtime manager.

Three of King’s 11 surviving children in a bid to take control over their father’s affairs said they suspect the blues legend’s manager of stealing his money and neglecting his medical care while blocking them from seeing him in home hospice care.

But a judge in Las Vegas tossed the dispute out of court Thursday, saying two investigations found no evidence King was being abused and that King’s longtime business manager, Laverne Toney, should remain in legal control of his affairs.

Toney and King’s lead attorney, Brent Bryson, deny the allegations by three of King’s children, Karen Williams, Rita Washington and Patty King. They say the children can schedule visits just like they always have been able to do.

King’s personal lawyer, Arthur Williams Jr., and his physician, Dr. Darin Brimhall, said outside the Clark County Family Court hearing that they saw no neglect or abuse.

King, who suffers from diabetes, did not attend.

Family Court Hearing Master Jon Norheim said police and social services investigations in October and April uncovered no reason to take power of attorney from Toney.

“There is no evidence of need for guardianship,” Norheim said. “Mr. King has counsel. I don’t have anything here that says he lacks capacity. He has some serious health issues. But he has counsel. If he feels like he’s being taken advantage of, he has remedies.”

Norheim said he could not consider daughter Karen Williams’ petition to take over as King’s guardian until all of King’s children and grandchildren get legal notice.

Williams and a family-nominated guardian, Fredrick Waid, want to wrest power of attorney from Toney.

They said in an April 29 petition seeking appointment as temporary co-guardians that more than $5 million in assets was at stake.

Bryson said he couldn’t comment on King’s estate, which is also expected to include intellectual property rights and royalties.

The petition alleges Toney blocks King’s friends — including musicians Willie Nelson, Buddy Guy, Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton — from visiting him.

They also say Toney put her family members on the King payroll, and that large amounts of money have disappeared from King’s bank accounts.

“The family has been unable to account for what is reported to be in excess of $1 million,” the court document says.

The judge’s ruling doesn’t prevent King’s children from returning to court to press their claim once all family members have been legally informed of the action.

“We lost the battle, but we haven’t lost the war,” Karen Williams vowed.

King was hospitalized a week ago after police were called to his home in a dispute about his condition between Toney and King’s daughter, Patty King. No one was arrested and King returned home to hospice care shortly afterward.

King, born Riley B. King in the Mississippi farm town of Itta Bena, toured and performed almost continually until October, when he canceled the remaining shows in his 2014 tour after falling ill in Chicago with dehydration and exhaustion.

Las Vegas police were called to King’s home in November on allegations of elder neglect and abuse. Officer Jesse Roybal said that case remains open, and no details were available.

King is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and a 15-time Grammy winner. He has released more than 50 albums and sold millions of records. He is considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time.

His guitar, famously named Lucille, has soared and wailed in songs ranging from “Every Day I Have the Blues” to “The Thrill is Gone.”

King was married several times and had 15 biological and adoptive children. Four have died.

His eldest surviving daughter, Shirley King, who tours as “Daughter of the Blues,” said the dispute between family members and Toney has brought disrespect to her father’s name and memory.

“I’m not too sure things are right. But my dad would never want this,” Shirley King said by telephone from her Chicago-area home.

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Oakland Post: Week of September 30 – October 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 30 – October 6, 2026

Published

4 days ago

October 4, 2026

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From Historic Memories to New Possibilities: Oakland Celebrates Coliseum 60

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, September 18, for Coliseum 60, an event marking six decades of sports, entertainment, employment, and community memories at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex. Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum first opened, the celebration featured cultural performances and a mini-documentary highlighting its history. Speakers reflected on the venue’s significant role in the community and its future possibilities. Read more to learn about the individuals and stories honored during this special event.

Published

2 weeks ago

September 27, 2026

Post News Group

Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE moderates a panel discussion at the Coliseum 60 celebration at Youth UpRising featuring Keith Brown, a member of IATSE Local 107; author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; and African American Sports and Entertainment Group President Ray Bobbitt.

By Carla Thomas

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, Sept. 18, for Coliseum 60, a celebration honoring six decades of sports, entertainment, employment and community memories connected to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex.

Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum opened, the event carried the theme, “One Community. One Legacy. One Future. Forward Together.”

The celebration opened with the national anthem performed by sisters Anese Jade, Amina Benjamin and Zaza Benjamin. Diamano Coura West African Dance Company contributed African dance and drumming, bringing movement, rhythm and cultural expression to the program.

A mini documentary highlighted the Coliseum’s sports history and its broader role as an entertainment destination. Archival material recalled performances by Prince and Tina Turner, along with memorable games featuring the Warriors, Oakland A’s and Raiders.

“The Coliseum 60 is about much more than celebrating a building or looking back at 60 years of history,” said event organizer Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE.

“It’s about the people who made that history possible: the families, workers, athletes, artists, community leaders, fans and generations who gathered there and created memories together.”

A panel exploring that history featured author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; stagehand and union representative Keith Brown; and Ray Bobbitt, president of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group AASEG. Lewis described her family as fourth-generation Bay Area pioneers.

“My family and Black families who arrived even earlier helped build the Bay Area, grew businesses and established culture here,” Lewis said. “This should be taught in the public schools.”

Lewis recalled Oakland’s influence on sports, music and literature, from the Raiders’ beginnings at Laney College to stars such as The Pointer Sisters and Rickey Henderson who attended Oakland public schools. She also advocated for school museums, historical timelines, entrepreneurship training and investments benefiting corridors such as Bancroft Avenue and High Street.

Keith Brown, a member of Local 107 of the International Alliance of Theater and Stage Employees (IATSE) who began working at the Coliseum in 2011, remembered the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Ice Capades, baseball bat giveaways and Nelson Mandela’s 1990 appearance.

“The special events are amazing, but it’s the workers that make the memories real for everyone,” Brown said. “They make the magic happen at the Coliseum.”

The program recognized longtime workers, including beer-stand manager Robert Preston, who served for 40 years, and Kenyatta Gentry, who worked as a vendor for 24 years and used her earnings to purchase her first apartment. Union workers Jose Gonzales and Carmen Sandoval were also honored. Speakers emphasized that Coliseum employment provided generations of residents with union wages and benefits.

Dr. Denise Saddler, the superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) was also honored. Saddler shared her family’s history of working at the Coliseum.

District 7 Oakland City Councilmember Ken Houston discussed the complex ownership arrangements involving the city, county and private interests.

“This was the most complex deal of its kind in the country,” Houston said.

Prior to moving from the East Coast, Alameda County Supervisor and Coliseum Joint Powers Authority Chair Nate Miley recalled learning about Oakland through its three professional sports teams. As an elected official and public servant, Miley fought hard to keep the Golden State Warriors, Oakland As, and the Raiders, but he is hopeful for the future.

“The story is not over for the Coliseum,” Miley said. “We’re entering a new chapter.”

Bobbitt said the departure of three teams had once seemed unimaginable, but he maintained that Oakland’s future remains bright.

“Oakland is a cultural superpower worldwide,” Bobbitt said. “We’re going to write the future where we participate and drive the redevelopment.”

Bobbitt highlighted AASEG’s four-year partnership with Castlemont High School’s architecture program, which engages students in reimagining and creating redevelopment concepts for the Coliseum property. “The youth will always move us forward. They are the future.”

In closing, Atkins said, “September 18 is the celebration, but what we build together afterward is the legacy.”