A great acoustic blues song written and performed in 1953 by Frankie Lee Sims was brought back to life a few years back by Buddy Guy in this incredible performance…
There’s no denying Buddy’s influence on electric blues but I personally find this finesse performance of a blues classic refreshing. It made me wonder why Guy doesn’t do more of these numbers these days (either live or similar classics on his albums).
In any case – here is a link to an audio version of Frankie Lee Sims original version…you hear the same signature guitar riff, but the tempo and the words are changed for the Guy version…
What’s your impression of Buddy’s playing on this one?
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends, buddy guy by on Sep 15th, 2019. Comment. 
80-years ago today the legendary Buddy Guy was born in Lettsworth, Louisiana but came to rule the early blues explosion of Chicago – a powerful blues guitar great who influenced the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards and Stevie Ray Vaughan – he was truly the bridge from the early Southern Blues into modern Chicago blues and all points in between.
In his early twenties Guy moved to Chicago and was fascinated with Muddy Waters. He soon linked up with Junior Wells where they collaborated on early blues work. As his sound evolved, Guy found himself as a critical bridge between traditional blues and rock & roll – electric with a showmanship that appealed to rock stars from Led Zepplin to Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones
As many early blues musicians, financial reward and anything approach mainstream success eluded them.
In the blues revival years of 1980 both Stevie Ray Vuaghan and Eric Clapton championed the skill and influence Guy had on their careers revitalizing a career that had largely gone unnoticed.
With Buddy Guy’s Legends blues club in Chicago and a solid legacy of critically acclaimed blues music, Buddy now is one of the elder statesman of the blues. Since the death of blues legend BB King, guy has come under new focus as one of the last remaining links between the old blues and the newer blues artists including Gary Clark Jr and Kenny Wayne Shephard.
Here is a terrific performance at Red Rocks – watch as guy dominates the stage with his guitar, his voice and his personality. It is this domination that rock musicians took on their climb to rock and roll hall of fame…
Filed under Blues Legends, buddy guy, rock and roll by on Jul 31st, 2016. Comment.
Until today, we had heard there will be a memorial service for the King Of The Blues held in Las Vegas this weekend (Saturday May 23rd) leaving us to wonder what of the wishes that his funeral take place near where he was born in Mississippi – Indianola.
Thankfully we see the Delta stepping up and welcoming their BB home with what will no doubt be a fitting funeral and celebration of his roots.
According to a report on American Blues Scene Magazine, following the May 23rd memorial in Las Vegas he will be flown to Memphis where on Wed May 27th at around Noon where a procession will flow through Beale Street with a tribute held in a local park.
Then on Friday May 29th there will be an opportunity for his beloved town of Indianola to pay tribute at a public viewing followed by the proper funeral celebration on Saturday May 30th at the Bell Grove MB Church in Indianola.
You can bet that BB’s memory, funeral and burial will be well taken care of – a quote from the long-time official at the museum stated:
From a practical standpoint, we feel comfortable knowing his final resting place will receive perpetual care at the Museum.
This should be a very fitting tribute to a true King – the King of the Blues.
Filed under bb king, Blues Legends by on May 21st, 2015. Comment.
One of the best parts about being a blues guitar fan are the guitar “duels” that really bring out the best in the players.
This first one is 3 Texas blues guitar greats…Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan and his brother Jimmie Vaughan. All 3 players are FINE on this rendition of Albert’s Frosty…have to give it to Jimmie though, he surprised me with this one!
Now for an oldie, but a goodie…can’t think of two more powerful onstage blues guitar players than Buddy Guy and Albert Collins…can you?
Comment it up folks – let us know you love Blues Music!
Filed under Blues Legends by on Sep 5th, 2014. Comment.
If you are anywhere NEAR Chicago on July 30th then pick yourself up some Buddy Guy Birthday Bash tickets as Buddy Guy’s Legends Blues Club celebrates his birthday in style.
You can pickup tickets here…hopefully they’re not gone by the time you click on this…
I’ve been to BG’s Legends a couple of times, try and fit in a visit each time I make it to Chicago, great club and you will have a blast – guaranteed!
Buddy’s career as a Blues Guitar Player is as varied as the blues itself. Starting out in the shadow of Muddy Waters alongside Junior Wells – his ascent as a solo artist was challenged given that Buddy’s incredible, raw, live performances scared off record execs – so recording was a challenge.
With the resurgence of blues guitar in the 1980’s and 1990’s led by Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, true innovators, pioneers and raw talent of Buddy Guy along with Albert and Freddie King finally began to receive the attention they deserved decades before.
If you will be heading to Legends for Buddy’s birthday bash, leave a comment and let us know…we’ll live vicariously through you 🙂
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends by on Jul 15th, 2014. Comment.
Buddy Guy is one of the few remaining early blues greats that came up with Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, BB King – a true legend that is still firing on all creative cylinders.
Watch this incredibly sincere by this legend of the Blues:
This entire interview is GOLD for blues fans, but there are two quotes that especially stood out for me…
1. 4:58 “You gotta put a lot of time into it man, I’ve been foolin with it for a long time and there is s still a lot I don’t know about the guitar” – you can’t expect to just pick it up and know it, or make an impact. Great to hear someone who has been playing the guitar for more than 50-years is still learning.
2. Watch the pure PASSION and LOVE for blues music after 50 – years as Buddy answers the question “What keeps you going, what do you still get out of performing blues music this far into your career” His lips quiver as he humbly shares the joy in just being able to share his craft with the world – that they think enough of him and his music to want to hear him around the world. To watch a guy that is so influential, so iconic and so successful still be happy to be invited to the next gig tells you all you need to know about why people love Buddy Guy – it’s his 100% dedication to pleasing his audiences
Filed under Blues Legends by on Jun 20th, 2014. Comment.
One of the most important parts of listening, understanding, enjoying and playing the blues is respecting the past. The blues is a living and breathing evolution in the human condition as reflected through the instruments and voices of blues music through the years.
To really understand and be able to play blues guitar, you’ve got to have a deep emotianal tie to both your instrument and the music…it just HAS to be that way to be real.
There’s no better way to really GET this than to look at some of the real blues guitar greats…
This first video “Death Letter Blues” should hit you right in the GUT, it sure did me as I watched it over and over again…I literally could not take my eyes of Son House as he tells the story about learning of a love lost but only then to recount the feeling he has that love was lost long before his girl ever died (because she never really loved him like he loved her).
Watch this and tell me you aren’t moved!
Just as we learn from the past, one of the reasons I love blues music is that the masters continually pass the torch onto willing disciples – that’s what’s happening in this video “My Black Mama”where a young Buddy Guy sits in with Son House…amazing stuff!
Talkl to me people – leave me a comment.
Filed under Blues Legends by on Jul 19th, 2012. Comment.
Great to see this recent write-up about Buddy Guy’s impressive headline show at the Aurora IL blues festival held earlier this year…not only is he making his 74-years look like a 40-year old, one could argue that Buddy’s brand of Chicago blues gets better with age.
3 Things You Are Guaranteed At Any Buddy Guy show:
1. You’ll never hear a song done the same. I remember 2-years ago here at the Ottawa Blues Festival when he launched into a rendition of “Damn Write I Got The Blues” that he kept so low down and dirty and then rocked out in the last few lines…completely different than I had heard him done at other shows and on his same titled CD. That’s what keeps us going to see Guy again and again is that we know when his genius and passion for the guitar meld with his creativity and fearlessness we get to witness greatness…you never know what to expect and that is amazing after 50+ years at it
2. His sense of humor – Guy is serious about his music, serious as a heart-attack about his guitar, but doesn’t take himself too serious. I remember running in to him nearly a dozen years ago at his Legends Club in Chicago, nicest, most down to earth guy you will ever want to meet. That comes through on stage too, he has fun up there – that must account for at least part of his longevity
3. Spirit of the blues…every Buddy Guy I’ve ever seen he pays tribute to his mentors (Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, BB King to name a few) as well as those that have clearly learned a ton from Buddy including Eric Clapton and the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan. It was the special relationship between Stevie and Buddy that provided the link for me to becoming a huge Buddy Guy fan.
Thankful we still have him sharing his roots and continuing to bridge Blues and Rock together at the same time progressing the future of Blues music all the while continuing to provide an essential link for today’s youth back to the greats where it all started.
Have you ever attended a Buddy Guy concert? If so, what did you think?
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends by on Jun 20th, 2011. Comment.
