George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of

Chicago blues Chicago blues is a form of blues music that developed in Chicago, Illinois. It is based on earlier blues idioms, such as Delta blues, but is performed in an urban style. It developed alongside the Great Migration of African Americans of the fi ...

who has influenced generations of guitarists including

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...

Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician and producer who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the Rock music, rock band Led Zeppelin. Page began his career as a studio session musician in Lo ...

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...

Stevie Ray Vaughan Stephen Ray Vaughan (also known as SRV; October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (band), Double Trouble. Although his ma ...

Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (24 June 1944 – 10 January 2023) was an English musician. He rose to prominence as the guitarist of the rock band the Yardbirds, and afterwards founded and fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, ...

, Gary Clark Jr. and

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but he left for Atlanta in 1997 with fellow guitarist Clay Cook, with whom he formed the short-liv ...

. In the 1960s, Guy played with

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of moder ...

as a session guitarist at

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock an ...

and began a musical partnership with

blues harp The Richter-tuned harmonica, 10-hole harmonica (in Asia) or blues harp (in America), is the most widely known type of harmonica. It is a variety of diatonic scale, diatonic harmonica, with ten holes which offer the player 19 notes (10 holes tim ...

virtuoso Junior Wells. Guy has won eight

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

and a Lifetime Achievement Award, the

National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and Patronage, patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and ar ...

, and the

Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to Culture of the United States, American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in ...

. Guy was ranked 27th in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine's 2023 list of greatest guitarists of all time. His song "Stone Crazy" was ranked 78th in the ''Rolling Stone'' list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time". Clapton once described him as "the best guitar player alive". In 1999, Guy wrote the book ''Damn Right I've Got the Blues'', with Donald Wilcock. His autobiography, ''When I Left Home: My Story'', was published in 2012.

Early life

George "Buddy" Guy was born and raised in Lettsworth, Louisiana. He was the first of five children to parents Sam and Isabel, who were sharecroppers, and as a child, Guy would pick cotton for $2.50 per 100 pounds. His brother Phil Guy was also a blues musician. He began learning to play the guitar using a two-string diddley bow he made. Later he was given a Harmony acoustic guitar which, decades later in Guy's lengthy career, was donated to the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

Career

In the mid-1950s, Guy began performing with bands in

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

, including with Big Papa Tilley and Raful Neal. While living there, he worked as a custodian at

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

. In 1957, he recorded two demos for a local DJ in Baton Rouge for Ace Records, but they were not issued at the time. Soon after moving to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

on September 25, 1957, Guy fell under the influence of

. In 1958, a competition with West Side guitarists Magic Sam and Otis Rush gave Guy a record contract. Soon afterwards he recorded for Cobra Records. During his Cobra sessions, he teamed up with

Ike Turner Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...

who helped him make his second record, "You Sure Can't Do" / "This Is The End", by backing him on guitar and composing the latter. After two releases from Cobra's subsidiary, Artistic, Guy signed with

. Guy's early career was impeded by his record company, Chess Records, his label from 1959 to 1968, which refused to record Guy playing in the novel style of his live shows.

Leonard Chess Leonard Samuel Chess (born Lejzor Szmuel Czyż; March 12, 1917 – October 16, 1969) was a Polish-American record company executive and the founder of Chess Records alongside his brother Phil. He was influential in the development of the recor ...

, Chess Records founder, denounced Guy's playing as "just making noise". In the early 1960s, Chess tried recording Guy as a solo artist with R&B ballads,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

instrumentals,

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

and novelty dance tunes, but none of these recordings was released as a single. Guy's only Chess album, '' I Left My Blues in San Francisco'', was released in 1967. Most of the songs were influenced by the era's soul boom, with orchestrations by Gene Barge and Charlie Stepney. Chess used Guy mainly as a session guitarist to back Muddy Waters,

Howlin' Wolf Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player. He was at the forefront of transforming acoustic Delta blues into electric Chica ...

Little Walter Marion Walter Jacobs (May 1, 1930 – February 15, 1968), known as Little Walter, was an American blues musician, singer, and songwriter, whose revolutionary approach to the harmonica had a strong impact on succeeding generations, earning him ...

, Sonny Boy Williamson, Koko Taylor and others. As late as 1967, Guy worked as a

tow truck A tow truck (also called a wrecker, a breakdown truck, recovery vehicle or a breakdown lorry) is a truck used to move disabled, improperly parked, Vehicle impoundment, impounded, or otherwise indisposed motor vehicles. This may involve recoverin ...

driver while playing clubs at night. During his tenure with Chess, Guy recorded sessions with Junior Wells for Delmark Records under the pseudonym Friendly Chap in 1965 and 1966. In 1965, he participated in the European tour American Folk Blues Festival. He appeared onstage at the March 1969 " Supershow" in Staines, England, which also included

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish musician. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of Rock music, rock band Cream (band), Cream. After the group disbanded in 1968, he pursued a ...

Stephen Stills Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Manassas (band ...

, Buddy Miles, Glenn Campbell, Roland Kirk, Jon Hiseman, and the Misunderstood. In 1972, he established The Checkerboard Lounge, with partner L.C. Thurman. He left it in 1985 and reported in a 2024 interview that it never made money. Guy's career was revived during the blues revival of the late 1980s and early 1990s. His resurgence was sparked by Clapton's request that Guy be part of the " 24 Nights" all-star blues guitar lineup at London's

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

. Guy subsequently signed with Silvertone Records and recorded his mainstream breakthrough album '' Damn Right, I've Got the Blues'' in 1991. Guy had a small role in the 2009 crime film '' In the Electric Mist'' as Sam "Hogman" Patin. Guy retired from touring in early 2024, with a final tour titled. "Damn Right Farewell Tour." He still holds court as his club in Chicago, Buddy Guys Legends, and gets onstage to sing and play on occasion. In June 2024, he headlined the

Chicago Blues Festival The Chicago Blues Festival is an annual event held in June, that features three days of performances by top-tier blues musicians, both old favorites and the up-and-coming. It is hosted by the Chicago, Illinois, City of Chicago Department of Cu ...

as part of his "Buddy Guy Damn Right Farewell Tour." Guy appeared in a mid-credits cameo scene of

Ryan Coogler Ryan Coogler (born May 23, 1986) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is a recipient of ten NAACP Image Awards and four Black Reel Awards, and has been nominated for two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe ...

's 2025 period horror film '' Sinners''.

Artistry and legacy

Music style

While Guy's music is often labelled

, his style is unique and separate. His music can vary from the most traditional, deepest blues to a creative, unpredictable and radical gumbo of the blues,

avant rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, wit ...

and

free jazz Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...

that changes with each performance. As the ''New York Times'' music critic

Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

college station WRUW-FM, Guy said,

Guitars

Guy has played numerous guitars over the course of his career and continues to use multiple guitars in concerts and recordings, but he has become known for his custom model Fenders with their characteristic Polka-dot finish. In a June 2022 interview, Guy explained that the Polka-dot pattern was a tribute to his late mother, and to remind him of a lie he told her when leaving home to start his career in Chicago: The original guitar was based on the Eric Clapton Custom Shop

Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of double- cutaway electric guitar designed between 1952 and 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporati ...

that Guy had been playing in the late 80s and has since been developed into its own line of Buddy Guy Signature models that Fender sells to the public. Various models of the Polka-dot guitar and Polka-dot motif feature in the artwork for a number of his albums since 1994's ''

Slippin' In ''Slippin' In'' is the ninth studio album by Buddy Guy, released in 1994 through Silvertone Records (1980), Silvertone Records. The album earned Guy the Grammy Award for Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album, Best Contemporary Blues Albu ...

''. Recent years saw him on stage wearing a shirt of the same design.

Accolades

When inducting Guy into the

said, "No matter how great the song, or performance, my ear would always find him out. He stood out in the mix, simply by virtue of the originality and vitality of his playing." Buddy Guy 1998

recalled the night he and

performed with Guy at Buddy Guy's Legends club in Chicago: "That was just the most incredible stuff I ever heard in my life. The three of us all jammed and it was so thrilling. That is as close you can come to the heart of the blues." Former

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

bassist

Bill Wyman William George Wyman ( né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who was the bass guitarist with the rock band the Rolling Stones from 1962 to 1993. Wyman was part of the band's first stable lineup and performed on their first 19 ...

said, Guy was a judge for the 6th and 8th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists. Guy has influenced the styles of subsequent artists such as Reggie Sears and Jesse Marchant of

JBM Jesse Brian Marchant, better known by his stage name JBM, is a Canadian singer-songwriter. In 2011, he signed a recording contract with American label Partisan Records. Early life and education Marchant was born in Montreal, Quebec. He was cl ...

. On February 21, 2012, Guy performed in concert at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

for President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

and First Lady

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama ( Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, being married to Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United Stat ...

. During the finale of the concert, he persuaded President Obama to sing a few bars of " Sweet Home Chicago".

Awards

On September 20, 1996, Guy was inducted into Guitar Center's Hollywood Rockwalk. Guy has won eight

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

s, for his work on electric and acoustic guitars and for contemporary and traditional forms of blues music, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award."Buddy Guy,"Grammy.com
retrieved April 16, 2019. In 2003, he was presented with the

, awarded by the President of the United States to those who have made extraordinary contributions to the creation, growth and support of the arts in the United States. By 2004, Guy had also earned 23 W.C. Handy Awards, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' magazine's Century Award (he was its second recipient) for distinguished artistic achievement, and the title of Greatest Living Electric Blues Guitarist. Guy was inducted into the

on March 14, 2005, by

and

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...

. Clapton recalled seeing Guy perform in London's

Marquee Club The Marquee Club was a music venue in London, England, that opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. It was a small and relatively cheap club, in the heart of London's West End of London, West End. It was the location of the first ...

in 1965, impressing him with his technique, his looks and his charismatic showmanship. He remembered seeing Guy pick the guitar with his teeth and play it over his head—two tricks that later influenced

. Guy's acceptance speech was concise: "If you don't think you've got the blues, just keep living." He had previously served on the nominating committee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2008, Guy was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, performing at the Texas Club in

to commemorate the occasion. In October 2009, he performed "Let Me Love You Baby" with Jeff Beck at the 25th anniversary concert at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. On November 15, 2010, he performed a live set for '' Guitar Center Sessions'' on

DirecTV DirecTV, LLC is an American Multichannel television in the United States, multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital Satellite television, s ...

. The episode also included an interview with Guy by program host Nic Harcourt. On December 2, 2012, Guy was awarded the 2012

. At his induction, Kennedy Center chairman David Rubenstein said, "Buddy Guy is a titan of the blues and has been a tremendous influence on virtually everyone who has picked up an electric guitar in the last half century". In a musical tribute to Guy, blues vocal powerhouse

Beth Hart Beth Hart (born January 24, 1972) is an American musician from Los Angeles, California. She rose to fame with the release of her 1999 single "LA Song (Out of This Town)" from her second album ''Screamin' for My Supper''. The single was a number ...

, accompanied by guitarist

, sang a rousing version of "I'd Rather Go Blind". Also honored that night were actor

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for Dustin Hoffman filmography, his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable charac ...

, surviving members of the rock band

(

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...

and

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their breakup in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo ca ...

), comedian and late-night TV host

David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, and auto racing team owner. He hosted late-night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982, debut of ''Late N ...

and prima ballerina and choreographer Natalia Makarova. On January 28, 2014, Guy was inducted into

Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum Mission Statement The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum is a 501(c)(3) charity organization. The mission of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum is to honor all great musicians regardless of genre or instruments. This is done by exhibiting t ...

. In 2015, Guy received a

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...

from the

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...

."Sam Smith wins 4 Grammys, Beck takes home album of the year,"
''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'', February 9, 2015. '' Born to Play Guitar'' won a

in 2016 for Best Blues Album. Also in 2016, Guy toured the US east coast as the opening act for

. December 8, 2018 was designated "Buddy Guy Day" by Louisiana and Mississippi officials and a stretch of Highway 418 through Lettsworth was designated "Buddy Guy Way"."Buddy Guy to be honored in Louisiana hometown with historic marker, highway designation,"
''

The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * The Advocate (magazine), ''The Advocate'' (magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States * ''The Harvard Advocate' ...

'', December 3, 2018. In 2018, Guy was honored with a marker on the

Mississippi Blues Trail The Mississippi Blues Trail was created by the Mississippi Blues Commission in 2006 to place interpretive markers at the most notable historical sites related to the birth, growth, and influence of the blues throughout (and in some cases beyond) t ...

in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana. In 2019, Guy received the Golden Plate Award of the

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a nonprofit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest-achieving people in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet one ano ...

presented by Awards Council member

Personal life

Guy married Joan Guy in 1959. They have six children together: Charlotte (1961), Carlise (1963), Colleen (1965), George Jr., Gregory, and Geoffrey. Greg Guy also plays blues guitar. He was married to Jennifer Guy from 1975 to 2002. They had two children: Rashawnna and Michael. The marriage ended in divorce. Rashawnna Guy, known by her stage name

Shawnna Rashawnna Guy (born January 3, 1978), better known by her stage name Shawnna, is an American rapper and singer from Chicago, Illinois. She is best known for her guest appearances on Ludacris' 2000 single " What's Your Fantasy", as well as his 2 ...

, is a

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...

. Guy has lived on 14 acres in

Orland Park, Illinois Orland Park is a Village (United States)#Illinois, village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion in Will County, Illinois, Will County. It is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Orland Park ...

, a suburb south of

. He is an early riser, which he attributes to growing up on a farm. "Doesn’t matter how late I get home from a show, I know I will be up, like, three, four o’clock in the morning.” His only indulgence is a shot of cognac at every show.

Discography

*'' Left My Blues in San Francisco'' (1967) *'' A Man and the Blues'' (1968) *'' Hold That Plane!'' (1972) *'' The Blues Giant / Stone Crazy!'' (1979) *'' Breaking Out'' (1980) *'' DJ Play My Blues'' (1982) *'' Damn Right, I've Got the Blues'' (1991) *'' Feels Like Rain'' (1993) *''

'' (1994) *'' Heavy Love'' (1998) *''

Sweet Tea Sweet tea, also known as sweet iced tea, is a popular style of iced tea commonly consumed in the United States (especially the South) and Indonesia. Sweet tea is most commonly made by adding sugar or simple syrup to black tea while the tea is ...

'' (2001) *'' Blues Singer'' (2003) *'' Bring 'Em In'' (2005) *'' Skin Deep'' (2008) *'' Living Proof'' (2010) *'' Rhythm & Blues'' (2013) *'' Born to Play Guitar'' (2015) *'' The Blues Is Alive and Well'' (2018) *'' The Blues Don't Lie'' (2022)

with Junior Wells

*'' Hoodoo Man Blues'' (1965) *''Chicago / The Blues / Today!, Vol. 1'' (1966) *''It's My Life, Baby!'' (1966) *''Coming at You'' (1968) *''Buddy and the Juniors'' (1970, also with Junior Mance) *''Southside Blues Jam'' (1970) *''Play the Blues'' (1972) *'' Pleading the Blues'' (1979) *''Going Back'' (1981) *'' Alone & Acoustic'' (1991) *''Better Off with the Blues'' (1993)

with Phil Guy

*''Buddy & Phil'' (1981) *'' The Red Hot Blues of Phil Guy'' (1982) *'' Bad Luck Boy'' (1983) *'' All Star Chicago Blues Session'' (1994) *''He's My Blues Brother'' (2006)

with
Memphis Slim John Len Chatman (September 3, 1915 – February 24, 1988), known professionally as Memphis Slim, was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxopho ...

*''Southside Reunion'' (1971)

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Guy, Buddy 1936 births Living people American blues guitarists American male guitarists American blues singers American memoirists Atlantic Records artists Charly Records artists Chess Records artists Chicago blues musicians Contemporary blues musicians Delmark Records artists Electric blues musicians Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Jive Records artists Kennedy Center honorees American lead guitarists MCA Records artists MPS Records artists People from Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana McKinley Senior High School alumni Musicians from Baton Rouge, Louisiana Blues musicians from Louisiana Blue Thumb Records artists RCA Records artists Songwriters from Louisiana United States National Medal of Arts recipients Vanguard Records artists Zomba Group of Companies artists African-American guitarists Songwriters from Illinois Singers from Louisiana Guitarists from Chicago Guitarists from Louisiana 20th-century American guitarists Black & Blue Records artists Mississippi Blues Trail African-American songwriters 20th-century African-American male singers 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers

Early life

Career

Artistry and legacy

Music style

Guitars

Accolades

Awards

Personal life

Discography

with Junior Wells

with Phil Guy

with
Memphis Slim John Len Chatman (September 3, 1915 – February 24, 1988), known professionally as Memphis Slim, was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxopho ...

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Early life

Career

Artistry and legacy

Music style

Guitars

Accolades

Awards

Personal life

Discography

with Junior Wells

with Phil Guy

with Memphis Slim John Len Chatman (September 3, 1915 – February 24, 1988), known professionally as Memphis Slim, was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxopho ...

See also

References

Further reading

External links

with
Memphis Slim John Len Chatman (September 3, 1915 – February 24, 1988), known professionally as Memphis Slim, was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxopho ...