The row between BB King’s surviving daughters and his manager has deepened as LaVerne Toney has been named sole executor of the late blues legend’s estate.
The will, filed in January 2007, puts LaVerne Toney alone in charge of administering BB King’s assets, his property and his trust.
However, BB King’s daughters, Karen Williams, Patty King, Rita Washington and Barbara Winfree, have alleged LaVerne Toney – who managed the blues legend for nearly 40 years – stole from their father, isolated him and poisoned him before his death on May 14, at the age of 89.
LaVerne Toney’s lawyer, Brent Bryson, argues the claims have no basis in fact and says the family members has provided no evidence that a competing will exists.
“There has to be more to the objections than hollow allegations and innuendo,” Brent Bryson said.
The trust documents have not been filed publicly.
BB King has 11 surviving adult children, and 35 grandchildren.
Meanwhile, a murder investigation has been launched into BB King’s death after two of his daughters claimed the blues legend was poisoned.
Karen Williams and Patty King said BB King was given “foreign substances to induce his premature death” by his business manager Laverne Toney.
Lawyers for BB King’s estate said the claims are unfounded and disrespectful.
However, the possibility of homicide will now be investigated by the coroner and police in Nevada.
BB King was born on September 16, 1925, to sharecroppers and worked in the cotton fields as a child before picking up the guitar.
Considered one of the world’s greatest players, BB King was known for his sharp single notes and vibrato on the electric guitar he christened Lucille.
Known for songs such as The Thrill Is Gone, Three O’Clock Blues and Darlin’ You Know I Love You, he influenced generations of guitar players, and was inducted to both the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
BB King was married twice and had 15 natural and adopted children, 11 of whom are still alive.
BB King’s death is being investigated as murder after two of his daughters claimed the blues legend was poisoned.
Karen Williams and Patty King said BB King was given “foreign substances to induce his premature death” by his business manager Laverne Toney.
Lawyers for BB King’s estate said the claims are unfounded and disrespectful.
However, the possibility of homicide will now be investigated by the coroner and police in Nevada.
The Clark County Coroner’s office wrote on Twitter: “Our coroner takes jurisdiction over #BBKing body, performs autopsy.”
Coroner John Fudenberg told CNN that the initial autopsy results found “no evidence to substantiate the allegations” made by BB King’s daughters.
However, he added that full forensic results would take six to eight weeks to arrive.
BB King died in his sleep at his Las Vegas home on May 14, aged 89.
At the time, the musician’s doctor and the coroner said he had died of a series of small strokes connected to his Type 2 diabetes.
BB King’s daughters alleged that his personal assistant Myron Johnson and Laverne Toney gave him medication to induce diabetic shock.
The women added that “King was sequestered from all family members” in the week before his death, and that Laverne Toney and Myron Johnson were the only people with him.
Laverne Toney, who is the executor of BB King’s estate, shrugged off the daughters’ claims.
“They’ve been making allegations all along. What’s new?” she told the Associated Press.
A lawyer for BB King’s estate also dismissed the accusations as “ridiculous”.
Earlier this year, Patty King, Karen Williams and a third daughter, Rita Washington, went to court accusing Laverne Toney of neglect, but the case was dismissed because of a lack of evidence.
BB King’s funeral is scheduled to be held on Friday, May 29, in Mississippi.
The Clark County coroner said his investigation would not delay the service.
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
