Often called the bridge between Blues and Rock and Roll, it’s hard to find a great guitarist who wasn’t influenced by Buddy Guy’s pioneering work.
Born and raised in Louisiana in the 1930s, Buddy took to music quickly, initially playing with a homemade Diddley bow until someone gifted him a Harmony acoustic guitar which is now considered an important artefact in the history of rock and roll.
Buddy moved to Chicago in 1957 and began to be influenced by the likes of Muddy Waters, developing his Chicago blues style during this time. Buddy signed a deal with Chess records in 1959 however many feel the label’s conservative tendencies held Buddy back in his formative years. Whilst his live performances were known for their passion and ferocity, Chess label founder described Guy’s playing as noise and did not release it as it should have been.
During this time however, Buddy’s playing had had a profound effect on a number of musicians we now count among the greatest guitarists of all time. Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton both took influence from Guy as they began their careers. This notoriety amongst the guitarist elite helped Guy to experience a career boom in the blues revival period of the late 80s and early 90s, one that has continued ever since.
In 2005 Buddy was inducted to the Rock and Roll hall of fame by Eric Clapton and BB King. With everyone from Slash to the Rolling Stones singing Buddy’s praises, he has had a powerful impact on rock and roll and music as a whole that will be remembered for years to come.
Ali Campbell
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