ALBUQUERQUE- November 11, 2010: Blues legend B.B. King calls him “One of a Kind.” Award-winning blues rock star, guitarist and singer-songwriter Joe Bonamassa will be live at the KIVA AUDITORIUM in Albuquerque on February 23, 2011 at 7:30PM. It will be his only stop in the state of New Mexico in 2011. Dubbed “The Blues Rock Titan” by Guitar World in 2010, Bonamassa wows crowds of all ages with his unparalleled and passionate performances. Considered a child prodigy and at the age of 12 he opened shows for blues legend B.B. King, who said after first seeing him play, “This kid's potential is unbelievable.”

He was honored twice in Guitar Player Magazine’s June 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards winning “Best Overall Guitarist” for the first time and “Best Blues Guitarist” for the fourth consecutive year. On June 26, he played the main stage at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago.

Bonamassa’s recording career began in the early ’90s with Bloodlines, a rock-blues group also featuring Robby Krieger’s son Waylon and Miles Davis’ son Erin. His solo debut was in 2000 with the Tom Dowd-produced A New Day Yesterday. Bonamassa’s chart-topping Black Rock, released in March of 2010, features thirteen tracks split between Bonamassa originals and selections by songwriters including Bobby Parker, John Hiatt, Leonard Cohen, Jeff Beck, Otis Rush, Willie Nelson, James Clark and Blind Boy Fuller. It also includes a duet with B.B. King.

In May 2009, he played a sold out show at London’s Royal Albert Hall and had the honor of being joined on stage by the legendary Eric Clapton. Joe Bonamassa – Live from the Royal Albert Hall, a 2-disc live DVD was released in October of 2009 and will be featured on KNME in December. Also, in 2009, Bonamassa was awarded the Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award at the U.K.’s prestigious Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards.

“Joe is not only one of the world's best guitar players, but he is also one of the most charismatic and down to earth performers in the business…I would get out and see this guy the first chance you get.” -Paul Roy, Blues Bash.org

Tickets go on sale Friday, November 12, 2010 at 10AM
and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com. Prices range from $39-$69. For more information and updated tour schedule, visit www.jbonamassa.com  

The Albuquerque Convention Center is located in the heart of downtown Albuquerque. It is comprised of the Kiva Auditorium, Northwest Exhibit Hall, Southwest Exhibit Hall, Ballrooms A/B/C, Northeast Exhibit Hall, Southeast Exhibit Hall and 30 Meeting Rooms. The center is operated by SMG, who with more than 28 years experience is the world’s leader in successful facility management. Headquartered in Philadelphia, SMG also provides construction and design consulting, pre-opening services, sales, marketing, event booking and programming to more than 200 venues in 41 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Europe, China, and the Middle East, controls more than 1.5 million entertainment seats worldwide and manages more than 10 million square feet of exhibit space. For additional company information, visit www.smgworld.com.