B.B. King Blues Club closing in Times Square

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - Skyrocketing rents are being blamed for the coming closing of the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in Times Square.  The music and entertainment club has been on 42nd St. in the heart of the Midtown area for 18 years.

It's final performance will be on April 29 and will feature Buddy Guy.  The club hopes to open a new location somewhere else in Manhattan.

To honor its storied legacy, B.B. King's will host a very special closing week celebration which will consist of performances by: Buddy Guy, Rick Ross, Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh + Special Guests, El Gran Combo, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic and more.

"Despite many sold out shows, the location's rent escalated to an unsustainable level, leaving us no choice but to close our doors," said COO Tsion Bensusan in a statement. "Unfortunately this has become a growing trend in New York City, with other iconic music venues and businesses falling victim to opportunistic property owners."

All shows scheduled beyond the April 29th closing date will be moved to various venues throughout the city. The weekly Sunday Gospel Brunch featuring The Harlem Gospel Choir, will give their two final performances at B.B. King's on April 22nd & 29th. 

First opened on June 20, 2000, the club has featured live performances from hundreds of musical greats including Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Etta James, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and B.B. King himself.