Buddy Guy

George "Buddy" Guy, born George Guy on July 30, 1936, in Lettsworth, Louisiana, is an American blues guitarist and singer. Influenced by John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, and Howlin' Wolf, Guy began playing guitar at a young age, initially with homemade instruments before receiving his first proper guitar at sixteen. He started performing locally in Baton Rouge with bands like the Big Poppa John Tilley Band and Guitar Slim. Guy moved to Chicago in 1957, where he quickly gained attention by impressing Otis Rush with his guitar skills. This led to regular performances in local blues clubs and collaborations with notable figures such as Muddy Waters and B.B. King. In 1958, Guy recorded "Sittin' and Cryin' the Blues" for Cobra Records and began working as a studio guitarist for Chess Records, contributing to sessions with Ike Turner, Otis Rush, Sonny Boy Williamson II, and Willie Dixon. His early solo recordings include "Sit and Cry", "Try to Quit My Baby", and "First Time I Met the Blues". In 1960, he released the singles "Let Me Love You Baby" and "Ten Years Ago", and appeared on the live album Blues from Big Bill's with Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Guy recorded several Chicago blues classics, including A Man and the Blues, This Is Buddy Guy (with Eric Clapton), Hold That Plane, and Stone Crazy. He toured extensively with Junior Wells and his brother Phil Guy, and his European performances included the American Folk Blues Festival in 1965 and the Mariposa Folk Blues Festival in 1967. In 1970, he joined The Rolling Stones on their French tour and participated in the Festival Express across Canada. The 1980s saw a resurgence in Guy's career with the release of albums like Drinkin' TNT 'N' Smokin' Dynamite and Buddy Guy & Junior Wells Play the Blues. In 1989, he opened Buddy Guy's Legends club in Chicago. The early 1990s brought a renewed interest in blues music, leading to the release of Damn Right, I've Got the Blues, featuring collaborations with Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton. Subsequent albums included Slippin' In (1993) and Feels Like Rain (1994). Guy has been nominated for fifteen Grammy Awards, winning eight times. After recording another classic with Sweat Tea (2001), Guy pursued with Blues Singer (2003), Skin Deep (2008), Rhythm & Blues (2013), Born to Play Guitar (2015), and The Blues Don't Lie (2022). In 2025, Ain't Done with the Blues featured Joe Bonamassa, Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, and The Blind Boys of Alabama.

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