B.B. King dead; 'King of the Blues' was 89

B.B. King, whose wailing guitar and warm but weathered voice brought Mississippi blues to the world in classics like "The Thrill Is Gone" and "My Lucille," died late Thursday in his Las Vegas home. He was 89.

King died peacefully in his sleep at 9:40 p.m. PDT, according to his website. Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg and King's physician, Dr. Darin Brimhall, confirmed the death to The Associated Press, adding that he died of a series of small strokes.

King had long suffered from diabetes, even becoming a spokesman for a blood sugar monitoring device in recent years. However, in the past year his health declined, and he collapsed onstage during a Chicago concert last year from exhaustion and dehydration. On May 1, King's website announced that he was in hospice care at his home and thanked fans for their prayers.

Top Fire Fighter Dies in Cape Town

CAPE TOWN - One of the country's top helicopter rescue pilots has died while on duty fighting fires at Cape Point in the Western Cape.

The pilot - who has been identified as Bees Marais - was forced into a hard landing at Cape Point earlier on Sunday.

He was flying a Bell 212 'Working On Fire' helicopter.

The pilot who died in a helicopter crash while dousing fire at Cape Point this morning has been identified as Willem Hendrik “Bees” Marais, City Press reports.

Marais attempted a forced landing with his Bell 212 Huey near Olifantsbos in the Table Mountain National Park at 11:30 when he crashed.

As a freelance flyer for poverty relief programme Working On Fire, Marais worked tirelessly this week battling the blaze that erupted last Sunday, scooping water and dropping it on flames with a 1000 litre bambi-bucket attached to his chopper.

Marais, a former South African Air Force (SAAF) pilot, leaves behind his wife, Jacqui, and their children.

A friend of his from his SAAF days, Mariette Hopley, described him as always having a smile on his face.

“Very calm and friendly, always a smile and time for colleagues and people around him. He was loved by all,” Hopley told City Press.

“He excelled as an aviator and taught and shared his knowledge and expertise with many other pilots. He was a special soul and mentor.”