He is a prominent figure in Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists, such as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, John Mayer and many more. Here are some interesting facts about Buddy Guy:
(Photo: Fanart.TV)
= Born: July 30, 1936, in Lettsworth, Louisiana. His full name is George "Buddy" Guy.
= Early Influences: Grew up listening to blues on the radio and playing a homemade two-string instrument his father bought him for 2 dollars.
= First Guitar: Later he received a Harmony acoustic guitar, later donated to the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame".
= Hard Childhood: as a child, Guy would pick cotton for $2.50 per 100 pounds.
= Early Career: Performed with bands in Baton Rouge in the mid-1950s.
= Move to Chicago: Relocated to Chicago on September 25, 1957, to pursue a career in music.
= First Recordings: Made his first recordings in 1958 with “Sit and Cry (The Blues)” and “This Is the End.”
= Cobra Records: Signed with Cobra Records in 1958 and recorded with Ike Turner.
= Chess Records: Signed with Chess Records in 1960, becoming a session guitarist.
= Revolutionized Electric Guitar: Already in the 1960s, Buddy Guy pushed the boundaries of electric guitar with jaw-dropping skills and innovative techniques. Eric Clapton recalled seeing Guy perform in London's Marquee Club in 1965, impressing him with his technique and pick the guitar with his teeth and play it over his head—two tricks that later influenced Jimi Hendrix.
(Photo: Val Wilmer)
= Influence on Rock Guitarists: Became a significant influence on rock guitarists like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
= Eric Clapton Influence: Eric Clapton described him as "the best guitar player alive."
= Junior Wells Collaboration: Collaborated with harmonica player Junior Wells, recording the album "Hoodoo Man Blues" in 1965. Later was involved in 10 more albums with Junior Wells.
= American Folk Blues Festival: Participated in the European tour in 1965.
= Vanguard Records: Released his debut solo album, “I Left My Blues in San Francisco,” in 1967 on Vanguard Records.
= Memphis Slim collaboration: Collaborated with blues pianist on the album "Southside Reunion" released in 1971.
= Checkerboard Lounge: Established The Checkerboard Lounge in 1972 with partner L.C. Thurman.
= Polka-Dot Guitars: Known for his custom model Fenders with a Polka-dot finish, a tribute to his late mother.
= Role in Supershow: Appeared onstage at the 1969 "Supershow" music documentary film with Eric Clapton, "Led Zeppelin", Jack Bruce, Stephen Stills and others.
= Phil Guy Collaboration: Collaborated with his brother Phil Guy on the album "Buddy & Phil" released in 1981. Later released 4 more albums with him.
= Buddy Guy’s Legends: Opened his blues club “Buddy Guy’s Legends” in Chicago in 1989.
= Grammy Awards: Won his first Grammy Award in 1991 for the album “Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues.” He won a total of eight Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary Blues Album and Best Traditional Blues Album.
= Damn Right, I've Got the Blues Book: Co-wrote the book in 1999 with Donald Wilcock.
= Sweet Tea Album: Released the critically acclaimed album “Sweet Tea” in 2001.
= National Medal of Arts: Received the National Medal of Arts in 2003, recognizing his contributions to American culture through music.
= Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Inducted into the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" in 2005, by Eric Clapton and B.B. King.
= In the Electric Mist: Had a small role in the 2009 crime film as Sam "Hogman" Patin.
= Kennedy Center Honors: Received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012.
= When I Left Home Autobiography: Published his autobiography in 2012.
= Lifetime Achievement Grammy: Awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.
= B.B. King Tribute: The same year he paid tribute to the late B.B. King in the song "Flesh & Bone" collaborating with Van Morrison.
= Rolling Stone Rankings: Ranked 27th in Rolling Stone magazine's 2023 list of greatest guitarists of all time and his song "Stone Crazy" ranked 78th in the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time."
= Hollywood Rockwalk: Inducted into Guitar Center's Hollywood Rockwalk in 1996.
= Louisiana Music Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2008.
= White House Performance: Performed at the White House in 2012, persuading President Obama to sing "Sweet Home Chicago."
= Musicians Hall of Fame: Inducted on January 28, 2014.
= Collaboration: Guy collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Muddy Waters (as a session guitarist), Junior Wells, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, Van Morrison, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tracy Chapman, Steven Tyler, Kid Rock, Beth Hart, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Elvis Costello, James Taylor and more.
= Mississippi Blues Trail Marker: Honored with a marker in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, in 2018.
= Buddy Guy Day: December 8, 2018, designated "Buddy Guy Day" by Louisiana and Mississippi officials.
= Golden Plate Award: Received the Golden Plate Award of the "American Academy of Achievement" in 2019.
= Studio solo albums: Between 1967 and 2022 Buddy guy released 19 studio albums.
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