Don't look for B.B. King [ tickets ] to retire in 2006; the octogenarian is already rolling out concert dates for the New Year.

King's 2006 schedule gets underway mid-January in the Northeast, and shows--most of which are currently confirmed for January--are scattered through mid-March. Meanwhile, he still has a few dates left on this year's schedule, concluding with a New Year's Eve performance in Temecula, CA. Details are included below.

King celebrated his 80th birthday in September, and marked the occasion with that month's release of "80," an album that features the bluesman performing a dozen blues standards with some help from Eric Clapton, Elton John, Roger Daltrey, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer and others. Cuts include King and Clapton delivering a new take on King's 1970 Grammy-winner, "The Thrill is Gone"; King and Daltrey on "Never Make Your Move Too Soon"; and King and Mayer on the Leon Russell-penned "Hummingbird."

Other pairings include King with Gloria Estefan on the Grammy-winning Doc Pomus/Dr. John cut "There Must Be a Better World Somewhere"; Crow on Little Willie John's "Need Your Love So Bad"; Daryl Hall on "Ain't Nobody Home"; Van Morrison on "Early in the Morning"; Bobby Bland on "Funny How Time Slips Away"; Billy Gibbons on King's "Tired of Your Jive"; Mark Knopfler on "All Over Again"; Glenn Frey on Junior Parker's "Drivin' Wheel"; and Elton John on the finale, Jimmy Rogers' "Rock This House."

Born on Sept. 16, 1925, King joined the ranks of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and has released more than 50 albums over the course of his recording career.