A select few artists ever make it to the pinnacle of their art. The late B.B. King is surely one of them. His exploits throughout his career – which spanned many decades – have earned their rightful place in blues folklore. Accompanying him on his journeys was “Lucille”, his trusty axe.

This September, Julien’s Auctions will host the sale of the Gibson ES-345 that as gifted to him on his 80th birthday. It’s expected to fetch somewhere in the vicinity of $80,000-100,000 

B.B. King’s 80th birthday “Lucille” is ready to go under the hammer. This one of a kind Gibson ES-345 is reportedly set to rake in close to $100,000.

To understand the story of “Lucille” you have to go way back to 1949. Legend has it that B.B. King rescued his guitar from a burning building after he played a show there. The fire was started in the midst of a brawl over a woman named – you guessed it – Lucille.

The name stuck for King, who henceforth gave the name to all of his guitars. So rather than being a specific guitar, the name is more of a concept that’s synonymous with the sound of the blues icon.

Other items of note in the auction include King’s National Medal of Arts, his yellow gold ring and his honorary Doctorate of Music from Yale University among others.

For more information, visit Julien’s Auctions.