The king of blues, B.B. King, will play the Convocation Center at 7 p.m. tonight, along with special guests Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Joe Bonamassa.

King last came to NIU in April 2003 and played to approximately 4,000 people.

“Bringing King back for another show seemed logical,” said Kevin Selover, marketing director for the Convocation Center. “It made sense for everyone that we try.”

Although Selover said he believes King is not popular among the college demographic, the arena did receive a lot of positive feedback.

The 13-time Grammy winner celebrated his 80th birthday Sept. 16. He still plays close to 200 dates a year, according to King’s official Web site.

“To see someone who’s 80 years old to still get up there and jam is pretty impressive,” Selover said.

Mark Cerny, owner of Record Revolution, agrees King’s performances are remarkable considering his age.

“This would be a good time to see King; he may never be back,” Cerny said.

Cerny also noted the impression King has made on blues music.

“With the blues genre, it seems the longevity isn’t there, but B.B. is the longest I know of,” Cerny said.

King has released more than 50 albums.

“He’s been one of the primary blues giants in the last 30 years,” Cerny said.

Blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd first came on the scene in the mid-90s. He earned a Grammy nomination for his 1998 album “Trouble Is … “

Joe Bonamassa began playing the Chiquita guitar at age four and was first asked to open for King when he was 12, according to his official web site.

Freshman art education major Rachel Wingstedt said she is not familiar with his music, but realizes his popularity and thinks it is good to bring acts such as King to NIU.

“I think that’s great because there’s a lot of different variety to bring,” Wingstedt said. “I think they do a great job covering.”