<back - BUDDY GUY - Buddy Guy was born George Guy on July 30, 1936 in Lettsworth, Louisiana. His parents, were sharecroppers. Buddy, like many other Blues artists, picked cotton along with his family. When the Guy family acquired electricity, his father went out and bought  a radio and record player. Buddy listened and absorbed the Blues  broadcasts and bought his first record, John Lee Hooker's Boogie Chillen. He taught himself to play guitar with  Lightnin' Slim a major influence on Buddy as well as BB King.  Buddy Guy began playing professionally around Baton Rouge in the early 1950's. Buddy recorded a demo tape at WXOK and moved to Chicago.

He had hopes of being signed to Chess Records, but they weren't interested in new talent. Buddy got his big break when he was asked to sit in with Otis Rush's band. An impressed Muddy Waters, encouraged him to stay in Chicago and keep playing. In 1958, Magic Sam recommended him to Eli Toscano, owner of Artistic and Cobra Records. Buddy Guy recorded 2 songs, Sit and Cry and This is the End, before the label went under. He then signed with Chess Records in 1960 and recorded with Blues legends such as Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor, Muddy Waters, and Little Walter. In 1962, his own record, Stone Crazy, went to #12 on the R&B charts. Buddy left Chess Records in 1967 and moved to the Vanguard label. Buddy began a long-standing working relationship and friendship with harpist Junior Wells at Vanguard and together recorded such albums as A Man and the Blues, This Is Buddy Guy, and Hold That Plane. The duo proved  popular with Blues fans of the late 60s and early 70s. Their partnership lasted an entire decade. Jimi Hendrix is said to have been profoundly influenced by Guy, while Eric Clapton has called him the 'greatest Blues guitarist ever'. Buddy Guy has been playing the Blues for over 4 decades. "It's the Blues that keeps you young. When you stretch that string, you're stretchin' your life". Buddy states.  In 1991, Eric Clapton invited Buddy Guy to play with him in a series of shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London. This led to a record deal with the British label Silvertone. His Grammy Award winning album, Damn Right I've Got the Blues, led to follow up's Feels Like Rain, Slippin' In, and Live! Buddy Guy was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame in 1985 and has received more WC Handy Awards then any other Blues artist.  MP3- Feels Like Rain | 7-11 |