Live in Cook County Jail is a 1971 live album by American blues musician B.B. King, recorded on September 10, 1970, in Cook County Jail. King and his backing band performed slow blues tracks for a audience of 2,117 prisoners, most of whom were young black men. Cook County Jail warden Winston Moore asked King to perform for the prisoners. King agreed, and after he told ABC Records about the performance, he was advised to bring along press and recording equipment.
Live in Cook County Jail spent thirty-three weeks on the Billboard Top LPs chart, where it peaked at number twenty-five. It also reached number one on the Top R&B chart, King's only album to do so. In addition to positive reviews from critics, much of the press surrounding Live in Cook County Jail focused on the harsh living conditions in the prison, which led to an eventual reform.
Although Live in Cook County Jail continues to receive praise as one of King's best live albums, critics often overlook it in favor of 1965's Live at the Regal. Rolling Stone ranked Live in Cook County Jail at number 499 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and in 2002, it was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame.
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