“A classic, some of the best blues Chicago has to offer” - Cuscuna, Michael, (October 15, 1970), Rolling Stone Magazine
“We went together like ham and eggs”, said Buddy Guy. A vital 20 year blues partnership.
© JIM MARSHALL PHOTOGRAPHY LLC,
Buddy Guy‘s audio biography, Why I Left Home: My Story is enhancing my understanding about key blues practitioners. I enjoy hearing Buddy Guy share his personal memories about The Mud (Muddy Waters), B.B. King, Willie Dixon and Howlin’ Wolf. Each day I listen to more chapters then I look up the blues artists Buddy speaks with reverence.
Buddy Guy wrote these words about Howlin’ Wolf for Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists List.
He was so exciting to be on a show with. Wolf was a big man, but he could really move. It was like when the Chicago Bears had that player the Refrigerator. People think football players can’t move when they’re that big. And people expected the Wolf, because he was such a big guy, to just sit in a chair and belt it out. No, man, he had all that action. He had everything you wanted to see. He’d crawl around, jump around. His fists were as big as a car tire. And he would ball that fist up. When I started getting calls to come and play on some cuts behind him, I’d think, “Oh, shit, I better play right.” I’d heard he was mean. I was told that. But, you know, I never had a cross word with the man the whole time, right up to when he passed away.
Source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/howlin-wolf-20110420#ixzz2J1spOfbF
I am listening to Buddy Guy‘s biography, “Why I Left Home: My Story”. He talks about his early influences, highlighting 
Guitar Slim (Eddie Jones) with deep reverence and respect. I was fascinated to learn that Buddy Guy loved his recording, ”The Things I Used To Do” so much that he played it every day for two years straight. Surprisingly I had never heard this Guitar Slim recording before so I used the Google search engine to get more information about why “The Things I Used To Do” had such a powerful impact on Buddy Guy.
It was one of the biggest hits in the Specialty Record label’s history and stayed on the rhythm and blues charts for 42 weeks.[4] The song held at #1 for six weeks, and was the best-selling R&B record of the year (1953), selling more than a million copies.[2]
I gave “The Things I Used To Do” by Guitar Slim himself a couple of listens. I liked what I heard in this 12 bar blues standard but I wasn’t bowled over by it. Maybe I had the wrong expectations about this song, so I kept listening and interpreting.
I then decided to listen to it through Buddy Guy’s performances and it took a stronger hold with me.
I had no idea so many musicians had recorded a cover version of Guitar Slim’s bestseller. Such artists as Richie Havens, John Mayer, and Stevie Ray Vaughn just to name a few.
I especially liked that Jimmie Vaughn and Gary Clark Jr. joined together to do “The Things That I Used To Do” as a heartfelt tribute for Buddy Guy at The Kennedy Center Honors recently.
I have had the good fortune to see Buddy Guy perform live five times in my life. I have seen him at Toads Place with John Mayer, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert with Jeff Beck(2009), the 200 Year Salute to the Blues at Radio City Music Hall(2003) and Gathering of the Vibes in Bridgeport (twice). He is always the consistent showman who possesses this incredible knack of coaxing the blues out of his polka dot guitar.
It has been an exciting and rewarding time for Buddy Guy these past few months. He received the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors on December 2nd, 2012. It was a well deserved recognition for one of our national treasures.
Here is the CBS video segment about the Buddy Guy tribute in its entirety.
At age 76 Buddy Guy shows no signs of slowing down. If anything he has picked up momentum. He is playing his 16 night annual Winter residency at his Buddy Guy Legends Club in Chicago right now.
Biography
Last year Buddy Guy released a biography co-authored with David Ritz. David Ritz has written some great music biographies about B.B. King, Ray Charles to name a few. I ordered this item as my new Audible audio book to listen to in the car.
Buddy Guy Live At Legends
Buddy Guy released last month a live audio CD of a past Winter residency that was recorded at his old Legends Club in January 2010. It also includes as a bonus three studio tracks. I’m listening to this on Spotify 
He appeared on the David Letterman Show last night with his band to promote that recording. He performed “Damn Right I Got The Blues“.
I was awakened at 2 a.m. this morning to an intimate blues get together broadcast on PBS Channel 13. The show starred Muddy Waters at Buddy Guy’s Checkerboard Lounge on the South Side of Chicago. The show was filmed on November 22, 1981 (31 years ago). The Rolling Stones had stopped by to gig and see their friend and hero Muddy Waters.
They are accompanied onstage by such blues luminaries as Junior Wells on vocals and harp, Buddy Guy and Lefty Dizz on blues guitar. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood were like three sons returning home to see their Father at Thanksgiving time. Muddy seemed really happy to have his children by his side.
The club was very small. I watched in amazement as Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood climbed on top of the tables and took the stage. Muddy Waters was in great form performing many of his blues classics. Mick Jagger sang along with total reverence for Muddy and his infamous blues songs.
![[image]](http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/WK-BC485_TV_REP_G_20120705164914.jpg)
The highlight for me was “Champagne and Reefer”. I love the scene where Muddy Waters is handed a marijuana stalk with fresh green buds. He just laughs as we all do at that point
Gimme champagne when I get thirsty
Gimme a reefer when I want to get high
I must get this CD/DVD set. I so love and miss Muddy Waters
. I am so thankful this historic occasion is captured on film for us to relive and enjoy.
Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, as well as Mick Jagger, BB King, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Warren Haynes, Gary Clark Jr. and many more artists will perform at the White House TONIGHT as part of a celebration of Blues music. Click the link below at 7:20pm EST for live streaming video of the concert at the White House.
Cover of Damn Right I Got the Blues
Is it just me or is this winter giving you a major case of the blues too? Well Buddy Guy has a solid cure for the winter doldrums. Every January Buddy Guy takes up residence at his club,
Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago. Wish I was in Chicago catching his act at his house 
Buddy Guy is 74 years young. He’s been making some great music these past few years. Buddy Guy’s legacy has produced a treasure trove of classic blues gems. Three major highlights I enjoy from Buddy’s treasure chest that I play often are A Man and the Blues (1968), Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues (1991) and Sweet Tea (2001).
He’s been a major influence on Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck and other guitar greats. He’s seminal to blues and rock and roll.
I’ve seen Buddy Guy several times live. He’s always an electrifying showman. The first time I saw Buddy Guy live was at The Salute to The Blues in 2003, where he played a rocking track with Angelique Kidjo and Vernon Reid, “Voodoo Child”. This number was performed at 3 a.m. in the morning, we were exhausted after 8 hours of concert and filming set changes. But this song launched us to our feet.
I next caught Buddy Guy at Toads Place in New Haven, Ct where John Mayer showed up unannounced. That was such a cool evening, standing at the edge of the stage watching them both play the blues with such earnest and mutual respect.
I then saw Buddy Guy just up the road apiece at Gathering of the Vibes in 2007, in Bridgeport, Ct. Here’s a Go Vibes video of Buddy Guy playing “Louisiana Blues.”
The last time I saw Buddy Guy live was at Madison Square Garden as Jeff Beck’s guest for the 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Concert, October 30, 2009. Jeff Beck is so in awe of him.
Eric Clapton invited Buddy Guy to play at his Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2010 in Chicago. Buddy Guy has also appeared at the 2004 and 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival events.
Here is some video footage of Buddy Guy, Ron Wood and Jonny Lang together in 2010.
Buddy Guy’s latest recording is called Living Proof, a most appropriate title In an earlier post this week about B.B. King I featured the video of the collaboration between Buddy Guy and B.B. King, “Stay Around A Little Longer.” It is one of two guest star tracks on Living Proof. The other guest track features Carlos Santana and Buddy Guy on “Where The Blues Began”. The rest of Living Proof is solid and distinct.
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